Argentine President Javier Milei's brief social media endorsement of the Libra memecoin turned sour as an estimated 86% of traders that took stake in the cryptocurrency lost a combined $251M in a swift crash,

The budding scandal in Argentina has been dubbed locally as “cryptogate” and has links to a diverse cast of characters, including a high-profile U.S. influencer, a crypto developer who uses the pseudonym “Meow,” and a 28-year-old American entrepreneur who said he helped launch first lady Melania Trump’s meme coin last month.

Argentina's president faces his first major political crisis as the so-called "cryptogate" scandal shakes his credibility. The failed cryptocurrency endorsement sparks legal trouble, political fallout and media backlash.