Trump Media’s Crypto Bet Implodes With Massive $406M Quarterly Loss

bitcoinistPublished on 2026-05-11Last updated on 2026-05-11

Abstract

Trump Media & Technology Group, parent company of Truth Social, reported a massive $406 million net loss in Q1 2026, sharply up from $31.7 million a year earlier. The collapse was driven primarily by $370 million in unrealized losses from digital asset investments. These include a $61 million loss on 756 million Cronos tokens and a nearly $500 million gap on 9,542 Bitcoin purchased near the 2025 market peak, though Bitcoin's recent recovery has reduced that paper loss. Adding to turmoil, CEO Devin Nunes resigned in late April. Meanwhile, the company's core media revenue was only $871,200, a minimal increase. Despite the financial losses, the company generated $18 million in operating cash flow by selling options on its pledged Bitcoin holdings. Its stock, once valued at over $97, now trades around $9, reflecting a more than 90% decline from its 2022 peak.

Trump Media & Technology Group’s stock now trades around $8.93. That number tells a story on its own. The parent company of Truth Social once peaked at $97.50 a share back in early 2022, and it has shed more than 90% of its value since then.

CEO Devin Nunes stepped down on April 22, adding leadership uncertainty to a company already under financial pressure.

A Bad Deal Gets Worse

756 million Cronos tokens sit on Trump Media’s books, purchased for close to $114 million as part of a deal with Crypto.com. By March 31, those tokens were valued at just $53 million — less than half what the company paid.

That loss compounded an already bruising quarter driven largely by Bitcoin purchases made near last summer’s market peak. The company bought roughly 9,500 Bitcoin at an average cost of around $108,519 per coin.

At quarter-end, the 9,542 Bitcoin it held carried a cost basis of $1.13 billion but a fair value of only $647 million — a gap of nearly $500 million. Bitcoin has since climbed back above $80,000, pushing the position’s value closer to $770 million.

WLFIUSD trading at $0.06 on the 24-hour chart: TradingView

The total damage for the first quarter of 2026 came to $406 million in net losses, up sharply from $31.7 million during the same period a year earlier.

According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, nearly $370 million of that figure came from unrealized losses on digital assets and equity holdings — meaning the company has not sold its positions at a loss, but the decline in market value still hit the books hard. An additional $108 million in investment losses was tied mostly to equity securities.

Image: Technext

Revenue Barely Moves

While crypto losses dominated the quarter, Trump Media’s core media business generated just $871,200 in revenue — a 6% increase from $821,200 in the first quarter of 2025.

That figure includes $810,100 in media revenue and $61,100 in management fees tied to Truth.Fi ETF offerings. For a publicly traded company sitting on over $2 billion in total financial assets, the revenue line is thin.

The company did manage to generate nearly $18 million in operating cash flow during the quarter, helped by selling options on its pledged Bitcoin holdings.

Of its total Bitcoin position, 4,260 BTC has been pledged as collateral for convertible notes, and another 2,000 BTC is held against covered call options as a hedge.

Featured image from Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images, chart from TradingView

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