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Trump raises over $4 million in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald J. Trump holds a campaign rally at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20, 2024.
Bill Pugliano | Getty Images News | Getty Images
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Former President Donald Trump is heading to Tennessee this weekend to deliver a keynote speech at a major bitcoin conference. It looks like he’ll be in front of a supportive crowd.
Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has raised more than $4 million from a mix of digital tokens, a campaign aide told CNBC. Contributors have donated bitcoin, etherRipple’s XRP token, the stablecoin pegged to the US dollar USDC and several memecoins, according to a Federal Election Commission filing.
The more than 1,000-page report shows totals for the joint fundraising committee “Trump 47” from April 1 to June 30. The committee raised more than $118 million during that period, with payments going to the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and other parties, according to the filing.
At least 19 donors have contributed more than $2.15 million in bitcoin to the committee, the lawsuit shows. The contributors hail from 12 states, including some battleground states. Their professions include homemaker, U.S. military officer, missionary, painter, pizza sales representative and State Department security technician.
Crypto billionaire twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss led the charge, each contributing 15.57 bitcoins, or just over $1 million at the time of the donation. Since their contributions surpassed the $844,600 limit, the lawsuit indicates that the money was partially refunded. Mike Belshe, CEO of digital asset security firm BitGo, contributed $50,000 worth of bitcoin.
Tyler Winklevoss, CEO and co-founder of Gemini Trust Co., left, and Cameron Winklevoss, chairman and co-founder of Gemini Trust Co., speak during the Bitcoin 2021 conference in Miami, Florida, U.S., on Friday, June 4, 2021.
Eva Marie Uzcategui | Bloomberg | Getty Images
In recent months, Trump has positioned himself as the pro-crypto candidate for president, a reversal from his previous stance during his time in the White House. Trump launched his latest collection of non-fungible tokens on the Solana blockchain in April and has since been making increasingly optimistic crypto commentary. Along the way, he has gained the support of several influential tech and crypto investors, including venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz.
Trump will be in Nashville on Saturday to deliver the keynote address at The Bitcoin Conference, which is being held at the Music City Center. He will also host a campaign fundraiser in the city on the same day, where tickets cost up to $844,600 per person.
Front-row tickets include a seat at a roundtable with Trump and cost the maximum donation amount allowed for individuals. the Trump Committee 47. The next tier includes a photo with the former president for $60,000 per person or $100,000 per couple, according to the invitation.
Brian Hughes, an adviser to the Trump campaign, said that of the more than $4 million in cryptocurrency raised, most of it came in bitcoin.
“Crypto innovators and others in the tech sector are under attack from Kamala Harris and the Democrats,” Hughes said, referring to the de facto Democratic nominee. “While the Biden-Harris Administration stifles innovation with more regulation and higher taxes, President Trump stands ready to encourage American leadership in this and other emerging technologies.”
Trump, the first major presidential candidate to accept donations in digital tokensYou can receive contributions in a variety of cryptocurrencies, including Dogecoin, Shiba Inu coin, XRP, USDC, and Ether.
Kraken founder and former CEO Jesse Powell has donated nearly $845,000 worth of ether. Stuart Alderotylegal director of Curlinggave $300,000 in XRP token. Alderoty recently attended a Trump fundraiser organized by venture capitalist David Sacks in San Francisco.
Former Messari CEO Ryan Selkis, who resigned last week from the company he co-founded after posting about “literal war” against Trump opponents, donated $50,000 in USDC.
So far, it appears that the Trump campaign is converting these contributions immediately to USDC and then liquidating the donations. In some cases, however, the campaign has chosen to keep the USDC.
Trump has personally promised to defend the rights of those who choose to self-custody their currencies, meaning they are not dependent on a centralized entity like Coinbase and instead use cryptocurrency wallets, which are sometimes beyond the reach of the IRS.
Trump also vowed at the Libertarian National Convention in Washington in May to keep Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, and “her henchmen” away from bitcoin holders. Warren is a vocal critic of cryptocurrencies.
Meanwhile, after a meeting at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida with about a dozen bitcoin mining executives who pledged their support, Trump declared that all future bitcoins will be minted in the US if he returns to the White House.
Trump has named Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate, a move seen by many as a victory for the cryptocurrency sector. Vance has advocated for looser regulation of cryptocurrencies and revealed in 2022 that he personally holds bitcoin.
The Biden White House has stepped up regulation of cryptocurrencies, with the SEC stepping up its crackdown on the sector in recent years.