On Saturday, President Donald Trump hosted a conference for top investors in his meme coin at Mar-a-Lago. Addressing the crowd of crypto enthusiasts, tech leaders, hedge fund managers, and staunch MAGA supporters for nearly an hour, Trump remained unfazed by the increasing scrutiny over the Trump family’s extensive crypto investments on Capitol Hill.
The event took place amid stalled cryptocurrency legislation in Congress, which has caused rifts even among Republicans. Undeterred, Trump celebrated his crypto backers with a lavish gathering at his political stronghold.
Entry to this exclusive conference was limited to the highest meme coin holders. The top 29 investors also attended a VIP session with Trump. Initially, the announcement boosted the TRUMP token’s value from $2.93 to $4.37—an almost 50% rise. However, its value later fell to $2.51 at the time of reporting, marking over a 96% drop since January 2025.
Despite the token’s decline, attendees were generally pleased with the event, particularly for the opportunity to visit Mar-a-Lago—a symbolically significant location in Trump’s world. The cost for this year’s event was significantly less than last year’s inaugural dinner, which charged several million dollars per head for a chance to meet the president.
At last year’s dinner, Trump only briefly addressed attendees at his Virginia golf club without engaging with them personally. This time, one attendee told Decrypt they qualified by purchasing just $3,000 worth of the token, preferring this event due to its Mar-a-Lago venue.
Reports indicated that a significant portion of conference attendees were international guests from Asia. The White House did not respond to requests for a guest list from Decrypt.
Trump initially met with the top 29 investors, discussing crypto, AI, and his relationship with China’s President Xi Jinping. Justin Sun, the controversial entrepreneur who was previously TRUMP token’s largest holder, notably absent, had recently filed a lawsuit against Trump’s crypto company, World Liberty Financial, claiming misconduct.
Afterward, Trump spoke to all attendees for 45 minutes, touching on America’s tensions with Iran and criticizing former President Joe Biden. He humorously remarked that Iran was uncertain about its leadership—a frequent comment—and called Biden “the worst thing to ever happen to old people,” eliciting laughter.
“It was the same old stuff,” one guest noted, mentioning Trump’s repetitive speech pattern. However, the extended duration compared to last year’s dinner left little room for complaint.
Trump departed for Palm Beach International Airport after his address, emphasizing the need to support the growing crypto industry rather than discussing personal ventures when asked by Decrypt. “Crypto is a major industry,” he remarked, citing its mainstream acceptance and America’s leadership over China in AI and crypto.
After flying back to Washington for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner—eventually breached by an armed intruder—conference attendees listened to panels on neurotechnology and resilience. Tony Robbins, a motivational speaker who spoke at the event, captivated the audience more than Trump did, encouraging adaptation to AI or manual labor in response to technological shifts.
A Secret Service agent halted an attendee’s attempt to livestream Trump’s speech, creating unease. Post-presentations featuring personalities like Mike Tyson, attendees mingled briefly at a poolside happy hour, though it concluded too soon for some.
Bill Zanker, integral to Trump’s meme coin initiative and a close friend of the president, remained active throughout the event. Known for his low profile despite heading Trump’s branded ventures, Zanker showcased a “Trump Club” offering exclusive experiences for top token holders.
A dedicated TRUMP token holder, present at both this year’s and last year’s events, expressed optimism about the coin’s potential rebound but emphasized loyalty to Trump over financial gain. “He doesn’t owe us anything,” he stated, affirming his support since 2015.