Trump’s crypto coin surges after dinner invite for top holders

Donald Trump’s meme cryptocurrency, $TRUMP, has seen a sharp rise in value after an attention-grabbing offer promised a private dinner with the US President for its wealthiest holders.

The official website for the coin unveiled a new campaign stating that the top 220 holders of the digital asset will be invited to a black-tie dinner at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C., on May 22.

A special reception with the president is also planned exclusively for the top 25 holders, giving participants unprecedented access to Trump in what is being described as one of the most exclusive events of the year.

The announcement sent the token’s value soaring by more than 70% in just a few hours, reversing part of a steep decline the coin had faced in recent months. Despite the jump, the current price remains well below the all-time high of over $75 reached shortly after its January launch.

Originally released just days before Trump’s second inauguration, the $TRUMP coin is part of a broader suite of Trump-linked digital ventures. These include NFTs, crypto platforms, and now investment products through his media company, all promoting the former president’s self-proclaimed identity as the "crypto president."

The coin’s website positions the event as a unique opportunity for supporters to be personally acknowledged by Trump and to discuss his vision for the crypto industry. It includes a real-time leaderboard, ranking wallet holders based on how much $TRUMP they own and how long they’ve held it between April 23 and May 12.

Only those who remain in the top tiers by the deadline will be eligible to attend the dinner or the VIP reception.

In addition to this promotional push, Trump has taken formal steps to align the presidency with the growing digital economy. Earlier this year, he signed orders to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a Digital Asset Stockpile—federal holdings built from seized or forfeited cryptocurrencies.

These steps, combined with the formation of a presidential working group on digital assets, have made the Trump administration’s stance on crypto more aggressive than ever before.

However, the latest offer has drawn criticism. Ethics groups and political opponents have called the dinner plan a transparent attempt to link financial speculation to presidential access. Critics argue it crosses ethical lines, using the office to benefit speculative investors while undermining public trust.

Meme coins like $TRUMP are typically driven by hype, celebrity, and culture, rather than economic fundamentals. These tokens are often volatile and lack real utility. The president’s embrace of this trend, paired with public incentives, has only intensified the debate around the intersection of politics, money, and digital finance.