A new $TRUMP gala offers dinner invitations to leading holders as some previous supporters voice disappointment. | Source: (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)
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Key Takeaways
A new $TRUMP dinner competition rewards participants for holding more tokens for longer.
Some previous supporters told The Washington Post they were disappointed with Trump’s crypto ventures and policy results.
The backlash comes alongside continuing support from major crypto companies and investors.
Some of Donald Trump’s crypto supporters are questioning what they gained from backing the president—and his memecoin—as the $TRUMP project offers a new competition promising another gala.
One previous token-holder dinner attendee, Nick Pinto, described the project as a “rug pull.”
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The new gala’s leaderboard measures time-weighted $TRUMP holdings during a scoring window running from Sept. 30 to Nov. 12.
According to the official event website, the top 185 qualifying holders can receive dinner invitations.
The top 29 qualify for a VIP reception, while the top four can receive an 18-karat Trump-branded gold watch.
Keeping those extra benefits requires participants to maintain at least their Nov. 12 snapshot holdings through the Nov. 22 event.
Dropping below that balance can result in losing VIP bonuses, although the website says the dinner invitation remains available.
An Invitation Does Not Guarantee a Private Meeting
For participants weighing the offer, the difference between attending an event and meeting the president matters.
The gala website advertises Trump as a featured speaker and offers leading holders a VIP reception.
It also explicitly rules out private meet-and-greets with him.
Trump’s crypto fans are being enticed by another gala. | Source: gettrumpmemes.com
That limitation addresses an expectation raised by at least one previous attendee.
Pinto told The Washington Post that Trump’s appearance at the May 2025 token-holder dinner was brief and that he had no opportunity to interact with him.
“The whole thing is a rug pull,” Pinto told the newspaper.
Buyers Expected More Than Event Perks
The interviews published by the Post suggest that many investors’ frustration extended beyond what happened at the previous dinners.
Crypto streamer Carl Runefelt, known as “the Moon,” told the newspaper he bought additional Bitcoin and some $TRUMP tokens after welcoming Trump’s support for crypto.
He now believes the president’s personal token venture has further damaged an industry reputation already scarred by scams.
Another investor, Morten Christensen, said he had expected Trump’s presidency to deliver stronger gains for crypto holders.
The complaints carry additional weight against estimates of the money Trump has earned from the sector.
Advocacy group Public Citizen reported in August that Trump made at least $1.4 billion from crypto-related ventures in 2025, while investors were estimated to be $4.7 billion underwater across several associated projects.
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
