The latest mashup of crypto and politics: Hunter Biden's laptop

• Joe Biden's son is launching a meme coin that's a reference to the Hunter Biden laptop story.

• Hunter Biden teased $LAPTOP on X, alongside footage of media commentary on the political saga.

• Other meme coins tied to political figures have surged and collapsed in short order.

A political saga from the Joe Biden era is being revived as a meme coin.

Remember Hunter Biden's laptop? The contents of the personal computer unearthed in a repair shop in Delaware generated an explosion of conspiracy theories that the president's son seems to be taking aim at with the launch of the crypto coin.

Dubbed $LAPTOP, the crypto will start trading on September 9. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the token's launch.

Biden joins a group of politicians and their associates who have launched their own tokens. Others include President Donald Trump, his wife Melania, and former New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Meme coins are jokes in crypto circles, their very existence predicated on making fun of digital assets. Most meme coins have seen brief rallies before collapsing, and political meme coins specifically have a checkered performance history since being issued. Trump's own meme coin, launched just before his inauguration at the end of January 2025, peaked around $75 before cratering. The coin hit a an all-time low of about $1.35 last month and was trading at $2.26 on Tuesday.