Trump-backed American Bitcoin Raises $220 Million in Private Placement

American Bitcoin, a newly launched mining venture backed by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., has successfully raised $220 million through a private placement, as disclosed in a recent SEC filing. The funding round, which involved the issuance and sale of over 11 million new shares to private investors, took place last Friday. Notably, approximately $10 million worth of these shares were purchased using Bitcoin, at an exchange rate of $104,000 per BTC. The venture, which officially launched in late March as a joint initiative between Hut 8 and American Data Centers, aims to use the net proceeds to fund its strategic and Bitcoin accumulation goals, which may include the purchase of Bitcoin and/or miners. After deducting fees and expenses, American Bitcoin netted roughly $215 million. This move deepens the Trumps’ involvement in digital assets, aligning with the broader push to establish US leadership in blockchain and crypto infrastructure.

Bitcoin’s performance over the past few months has been resilient, with a strong monthly close in June settling just above $107,000—the highest on record. This follows prior monthly highs in May and January, which closed around $104,600 and $102,450, respectively. The latest close marks the third consecutive monthly gain and continues a broader rebound from Bitcoin’s April lows near $75,000. Bitcoin’s resilient performance has helped improve sentiment across the broader market, with the positive sentiment also seen in the early-stage project, Bitcoin Pepe.

As Bitcoin maintains its position above key technical support levels, institutional participation continues to underpin broader market confidence. The relative calm is prompting investors to shift capital into higher-risk assets, with meme coins seeing a renewed surge in inflows. One of the standout beneficiaries of this trend is Bitcoin Pepe, a meme-themed project that diverges from traditional tokens in the category by offering an infrastructure-driven roadmap. Positioned as the first meme-centric Layer 2 on the Bitcoin network, the project aims to integrate the base-layer security of Bitcoin with the speed and scalability features typically associated with Solana. Describing itself as an initiative to “build Solana on Bitcoin,” Bitcoin Pepe is attempting to differentiate through technology rather than purely community engagement. The project introduces its own token standard and infrastructure layer to support on-chain activity, a notable deviation from meme tokens that trade solely on social momentum. The project’s presale has raised $16.2 million, with investor interest accelerating as the token offering nears completion. According to the development team, the BPEP token is scheduled to be listed on both MEXC and BitMart, two centralised exchanges that could improve trading access and liquidity. A final listing announcement is expected on July 31, adding to the anticipation surrounding the project’s final presale stages.

As speculative interest returns to the crypto market, Bitcoin Pepe appears well-positioned to capitalize on the renewed appetite for meme coins with added technical merit. The project’s infrastructure-driven approach and the backing of high-profile figures in the crypto space, such as the Trump family, could further boost its appeal to investors. The successful fundraising by American Bitcoin and the strong performance of Bitcoin Pepe highlight the growing interest in digital assets and the potential for significant returns in the crypto market. However, investors should remain cautious and conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions, as the crypto market is known for its volatility and uncertainty.