Trump raises more than $4 million in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies | Wilnesh News

NASHVILLE — Former President Donald Trump will travel to Tennessee this weekend to deliver the keynote address at a major Bitcoin conference. It looks like he’ll be appearing in front of a popular crowd.

Republican presidential candidate Trump has raised more than $4 million through a variety of digital tokens, a campaign aide told CNBC. Donors have donated Bitcoin, etherRipple Ripple token, a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar U.S. Department of Agriculture and various meme coins, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

The more than 1,000-page report shows the total of the “Trump 47” joint fundraising committee from April 1 to June 30. To the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and other political parties.

Documents show that at least 19 donors donated more than $2.15 million in Bitcoin to the committee. Contributors come from 12 states, including some battleground states. Their occupations include housewives, U.S. military officers, missionaries, painters, pizza company sales representatives and State Department security technicians.

Cryptocurrency billionaire twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss led the way, each donating 15.57 Bitcoin, or just over $1 million at the time of donation . Because their contributions exceeded the $844,600 limit, documents show the money was partially refunded. Mike Belshe, CEO of digital asset security company BitGo, donated $50,000 in Bitcoin.

In recent months, Trump has positioned himself as a pro-cryptocurrency presidential candidate, a reversal from his previous stance while in the White House. Trump launched his latest series of non-fungible tokens on the Solana blockchain in April and has since made increasingly optimistic comments about cryptocurrencies. Along the way, he gained support from a number of influential tech and cryptocurrency investors, including venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz.

Trump will arrive in Nashville on Saturday to deliver the keynote address at a Bitcoin conference at Music City Center. He will also host a campaign fundraiser in the city that day, with tickets priced at a whopping $844,600 per person.

Top-tier tickets include a seat at the Trump Roundtable and are priced at the maximum allowable individual donation to the Trump 47 Committee. The next level includes a photo with the former president for $60,000 per person and $100,000 per couple, according to the invitation.

Trump campaign aide Brian Hughes said most of the more than $4 million in cryptocurrencies raised was in Bitcoin.

“Cryptocurrency innovators and others in the technology space are under attack from Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party,” Hughes said, referring to the presumptive Democratic nominee. “While the Biden-Harris administration stifles innovation through increased regulation and higher taxes, President Trump is ready to encourage American leadership in this and other emerging technologies.”

Trump is the first major presidential candidate to accept donations in digital tokens, and he can accept donations in a range of cryptocurrencies, including Dogecoin, Shiba Inu Coin, XRP, USDC and Ethereum.

Kraken founder and former CEO Jesse Powell donated nearly $845,000 in ether. Ripple Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty donated $300,000 in XRP tokens. Alderotti recently attended a Trump fundraiser in San Francisco hosted by venture capitalist David Sachs.

Former Messari CEO Ryan Selkis Resigned last week The company he co-founded after posting about the “real war” against Trump’s opponents donated $50,000 in USDC.

So far, the Trump campaign appears to be primarily converting these donations into USDC immediately and then liquidating them. However, in some cases, campaigns choose to keep USDC.

Trump has personally pledged to defend the rights of those who choose to self-custody their coins, meaning they do not rely on centralized entities like Coinbase and instead use crypto wallets, which are sometimes beyond the jurisdiction of the IRS.

Trump also vowed at the Libertarian Party’s national convention in Washington in May to keep Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren and “her thugs” away from Bitcoin holders. Warren is an outspoken critic of cryptocurrencies.

Meanwhile, after meeting with more than a dozen Bitcoin mining executives who pledged support at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trump announced that if he returns to the White House, all future Bitcoins will be minted in the United States.

Trump named Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate, a move considered by many to be a victory for the cryptocurrency industry. Vance advocates deregulation of cryptocurrencies and revealed in 2022 that he personally holds Bitcoin.

The Biden administration has stepped up cryptocurrency regulation, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has stepped up its actions against the industry in recent years.

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