Donald Trump is set to meet with some of the largest holders of his Official Trump (TRUMP) memecoin in Washington next month, bringing back an event that has repeatedly attracted scrutiny over the intersection of cryptocurrency, political access and the presidency.
The GetTrumpMemes website announced Wednesday that Trump will attend a dinner on Nov. 22 at his Washington, DC, golf club for the token’s top 185 holders. The ranking will be determined based on holdings recorded between Sept. 30 and Nov. 12. Three additional guests are also expected to attend alongside the president, although their identities have not been disclosed.
The gathering will be the third such event organized for major TRUMP holders. A dinner in May 2025 brought together 220 holders at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, while an April 2026 luncheon at Mar-a-Lago drew 297 guests.
The latest announcement comes amid renewed attention on the financial performance of Trump-linked crypto ventures. Public Citizen estimated in August that investors in the Trump family’s crypto businesses were collectively $4.7 billion underwater since 2022, including an estimated $3.2 billion loss tied to the TRUMP memecoin.
TRUMP briefly climbed following Wednesday’s announcement, rising roughly 9% from $2.05 to $2.23, according to market data. The token later traded around $2.06.
Trump introduced the memecoin shortly before his January 2025 inauguration. Its price initially surged to roughly $70 before falling below $20 within days.
Access to Trump remains a central criticism
The dinners have generated criticism from ethics advocates since the first event, with opponents arguing that large token holdings could provide wealthy investors with an opportunity to gain access to the president.
Justin Sun, founder of the Tron network and the largest TRUMP holder around the time of the May 2025 dinner, held approximately $19 million worth of the token and attended the event. The Securities and Exchange Commission later reached a $10 million settlement with Sun in a separate lawsuit.
Trump’s 2025 financial disclosures also reported approximately $1.4 billion in crypto-related earnings, including revenue associated with his memecoin.
Public Citizen co-president Robert Weissman described the dinner as potentially ranging from unethical profiteering to a form of pay-to-play access, arguing that participants may be motivated by the possibility of discussing policy or regulatory matters directly with the president.
Senator Chris Coons similarly characterized the event as “corruption” in a Thursday Bluesky post.
The White House directed Cointelegraph to the event’s organizers when asked for comment.
Crypto policy debate adds another layer
The announcement also arrives as lawmakers continue debating how the US should regulate the cryptocurrency industry.
Just weeks earlier, the Senate failed to advance the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act, legislation intended to establish clearer responsibilities for federal agencies overseeing digital assets.
Democratic senators who opposed the bill cited, among other concerns, provisions they said did not adequately address potential conflicts arising from Trump and members of his administration profiting from crypto-related businesses.
Senator Elissa Slotkin said after voting against the legislation on Sept. 15 that she could not support legislation that, in her view, would legitimize such behavior by public officials.
With Congress facing a limited legislative window before the next session begins in 2027, the future of the CLARITY Act remains uncertain. The upcoming TRUMP holder dinner therefore comes at a time when both the president’s crypto interests and the broader regulatory framework for digital assets remain subjects of debate.
