Trump's Grand Ballroom Gets a Crypto Boost

President Trump's ambitious $300 million ballroom project is turning heads, not just for its sheer scale, but also for its funding sources. Initially met with skepticism toward cryptocurrency, Trump now seems to have embraced the digital asset world, evidenced by substantial contributions from the crypto industry toward this lavish endeavor.

Funding Breakdown

According to White House sources, the project is being financed by Trump himself and private donors. The list of contributors includes:

• Prominent tech companies like Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft
• Cryptocurrency giants such as Gemini (Winklevoss twins), Paxos, Ripple Labs, Coinbase, and Tether America

While the exact contribution amounts remain undisclosed, the participation of these crypto entities signals a significant shift in Trump's stance on digital assets.

A History of Crypto Donations

This isn't the first time the crypto world has opened its wallets for Trump. In 2024, the Winklevoss twins each donated $1 million in Bitcoin to his presidential campaign. Trump's January 2025 inauguration week saw a record-breaking $239 million raised, with a staggering $18 million originating from crypto firms and founders. Ripple Labs contributed nearly $4.9 million, the second-largest single donation.

Other notable crypto donors during the inauguration included:

• Robinhood ($2 million)
• Coinbase, Kraken, and Crypto.com
• Circle and Paradigm ($1 million each)

Trump's Evolving Crypto Stance

It's worth noting that Trump was initially a crypto skeptic, famously calling Bitcoin a "scam" in 2021. However, his views began to evolve toward the end of his first term. He ventured into the NFT space with his "Trump Digital Trading Cards" in 2022.

Now, in his second term, Trump has championed pro-crypto policies. He signed the GENIUS Act into law, establishing a federal regulatory framework for stablecoins. Another key piece of legislation was the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025, aimed at clarifying regulatory boundaries between the CFTC and the SEC.

Key Takeaways

• Trump's $300 million ballroom is being funded, in part, by major players in the cryptocurrency industry.
• This marks a significant shift from Trump's initial skepticism towards crypto.
• Recent pro-crypto legislative actions, such as the GENIUS Act, highlight the growing influence of the digital asset industry.
• President Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao after months of private outreach between Zhao and Trump’s inner circle, including efforts by the Binance founder to support the Trump family’s own crypto venture.

Donors List

Full list of donors to the Trump Ballroom project:

Altria Group Inc. Amazon Apple Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. Caterpillar Inc. Coinbase Comcast Corporation J. Pepe and Emilia Fanjul Hard Rock International Google HP Inc. Lockheed Martin Meta Platforms Micron Technology Microsoft NextEra Energy Inc. Palantir Technologies Inc. Ripple Reynolds American T-Mobile Tether America Union Pacific Railroad Adelson Family Foundation Stefan E. Brodie Betty Wold Johnson Foundation Charles and Marissa Cascarilla Edward and Shari Glazer Harold Hamm Benjamin Leon Jr. The Lutnick Family The Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Foundation Stephen A. Schwarzmann Konstantin Sokolov Kelly Loeffler and Jeff Sprecher Paolo Tiramani Cameron Winklevoss Tyler Winklevoss