President Donald Trump is set to host two cryptocurrency-themed dinners this month — one targeting wealthy political donors and the other meme coin enthusiasts — as he leans into the growing overlap between digital assets and political fundraising.
The first dinner, scheduled for May 5, is a high-stakes fundraiser hosted by MAGA Inc. with tickets priced at $1.5 million per plate, making it one of the most expensive political dinners in U.S. history. Titled the “Crypto & AI Innovators Dinner,” the event will feature venture capitalist and tech executive David Sacks, who has played a role in shaping the nation’s crypto and AI policies.
Later in the month, on May 22, Trump will headline a second dinner at his private club, Trump National in the Washington, D.C., area. This event differs sharply in format — entry is determined not by a donation, but by holdings of the $TRUMP meme token. The top 220 token holders, as determined by a blockchain-based leaderboard contest ending May 12, will be invited to dine with the former president. The top 25 will also receive a private reception and a “WIP White House Tour.”
“Our partnership with e& enables us to optimize operations and elevate the quality of services we deliver to our customers,” said Digicel Group Chief Business Officer Liam Donnelly. “It also opens the door to broader partnership opportunities across international business lines – creating value for both our organizations and the customers we serve.”
Critics have raised ethical concerns. Watchdog group Accountable.US called the $TRUMP leaderboard a “nakedly corrupt self-enrichment scheme,” warning that it could enable wealthy or foreign participants to purchase access to Trump while enriching those close to him.
Despite the headline appeal, the contest comes with caveats. The fine print on the contest’s website notes there is no guarantee Trump will attend, and the event may be canceled “for any reason,” in which case participants will instead receive a Trump-themed NFT.
Still, the announcement has spiked demand for the token, which surged more than 50% in value after the gala was revealed. The $TRUMP project’s website indicates that roughly 80% of the token’s supply is controlled by the Trump Organization and its affiliates. Blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis found that since the token launched in January, over $324 million in trading fees have been generated — primarily benefiting wallets linked to the project’s insiders.
According to public disclosures, those insiders have agreed to delay selling their tokens for at least 90 more days.
