Summary
- LAPTOP, a meme coin initiated by Hunter Biden, is set to launch on September 9, 2026, on the Base platform.
- The founding team retains 30% of the total one billion tokens, which will be locked for six months and will fully vest over a two-year period, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
- Additionally, 20% of the tokens are allocated for airdrops, with part designated for wallets that incurred losses from the TRUMP meme coin associated with former President Donald Trump.
The LAPTOP token draws its name from the laptop that has been linked to Hunter Biden since 2020, following its handover by a Delaware repair shop in 2019. The New York Post published contents from the device shortly before the 2020 presidential election, igniting numerous investigations and conspiracy theories surrounding Biden.
The Wall Street Journal initially reported the launch on September 7, 2026. Hours later, Biden confirmed the token's ticker in a social media post featuring a brief video of news discussions about the laptop, concluding with the ticker $LAPTOP displayed prominently.
September 9 pic.twitter.com/QokgWLNxgL
— Hunter Biden (@HunterBiden) September 7, 2026
Understanding LAPTOP
LAPTOP operates on Base, a layer-2 network developed by Coinbase on Ethereum in 2023. This layer-2 solution processes transactions on a separate chain before recording them back on Ethereum, resulting in lower fees and quicker confirmations compared to direct Ethereum transactions.
Meme coins typically do not offer claims on revenue or assets and rely on market attention for value, often seeing rapid declines shortly after their launch.
According to the Journal, Biden is part of the founding team rather than merely a figurehead. The team has chosen not to provide comments to the publication.
Token Distribution Breakdown
A total of one billion LAPTOP tokens are planned for issuance, with the Journal detailing the following distribution:
- 🔒 Founders, including Biden—30%. These tokens will be locked for six months and will fully vest after two years.
- 🪂 Airdrops—20%. This portion will be distributed in two rounds to designated wallets.
- 🔥 Conditional burn—30%. These tokens are tied to the results of 30 specified events.
- ⚖️ Charity, liquidity and foundation—20%. This allocation supports exchange partners, market makers, and covers the token foundation's operational costs, including legal and compliance expenses.
An airdrop involves distributing tokens for free to qualifying wallets to encourage initial holders. Token burning refers to permanently removing tokens from circulation by sending them to an inaccessible address.
Burn conditions are tied to events such as a Democrat winning the 2028 presidential election, Bitcoin reaching a new all-time high, and LAPTOP's market valuation exceeding that of TRUMP. If an event does not occur as anticipated, a corresponding amount of tokens will be redirected to charity instead.
Airdrop Eligibility
One portion of the airdrop will target wallets that suffered losses from the TRUMP meme coin, which was launched by Donald Trump in January 2025. The TRUMP coin peaked at nearly $15 billion in market capitalization before plummeting to around $600 million by early September 2026, according to the Journal. A similar decline was observed for a coin associated with first lady Melania Trump. The other eligible wallets include subscribers to Biden's Substack and a mailing list managed by journalist Andrew Callaghan. Callaghan has publicly stated that he and his Channel 5 program are not involved with the project, expressing skepticism about the legitimacy of crypto as an investment.
— Channel 5 (@Channel5iveNews) September 7, 2026
About Hunter Biden
At 56, Biden is a disbarred former lawyer and the only surviving son of President Joe Biden. In June 2024, a Delaware jury convicted him on three felony firearm charges, and later that September, he pleaded guilty to nine federal tax offenses. He received a pardon from his father in December 2024 before any sentencing occurred.
Biden revealed in a November 2025 podcast that he is facing $17 million in legal debt. His previous law firm, Winston & Strawn, sued him over unpaid legal fees, and an April 2026 court filing indicated that Biden "lives abroad" and cannot afford to settle his debts.
In a 2026 interview with Tucker Carlson, he stated his interest in crypto stems from a desire to explore the technology and to "make some money."
Where to Acquire LAPTOP
LAPTOP is available for trading on Base, meaning it can be accessed through any decentralized exchange or wallet that supports this network. Ahead of its launch, the meme coin platform Pump.fun advertised the token, promising low trading fees of 0.1% in a now-deleted tweet.
Following Biden's announcement, various tokens under the LAPTOP ticker emerged on multiple networks, but these are not linked to the official project. It is advisable to verify the contract address through an official source prior to trading.
Future Prospects of LAPTOP
In the lead-up to its launch, reactions within the crypto community largely reflected skepticism, with many traders criticizing the launch as hypocritical and cautioning that announcing the ticker two days in advance could benefit automated traders.
The actual trading performance of the coin remains to be seen. Historically, celebrity meme coins tend to attract an initial surge of buyers, regardless of public sentiment towards the associated figure, but often struggle to maintain momentum once that initial interest wanes and insider holdings become available. For instance, Hailey Welch's Hawk Tuah token reached a market cap of $491 million before losing over 90% of its value.
Most meme coins experience rapid declines, often going to zero quickly, according to a 2024 Decrypt report on the market. Liquidity is generally restricted, and developers often withdraw funds instead of reinvesting them.
The six-month lock on founder tokens marks March 2027 as a key date to monitor for future developments.