Trump Meme Coin Holders Gather at Exclusive Dinner as Bitcoin Hits New High

An exclusive dinner event held at the National Golf Club in Washington, D.C., brought together top holders of the official Trump meme coin, generating significant anticipation and excitement within the crypto community. The event, attended by 220 individuals, was marked by a sense of grandeur and expectation, with Bitcoin recently hitting a new all-time high.

Nicholas Pinto, a 25-year-old social media influencer, shared his experience of the event. Despite a challenging four-and-a-half-hour drive due to heavy traffic, Pinto managed to arrive just in time. The room was elegantly set up, reminiscent of a wedding reception, with nine people per table. Pinto was handed a raffle ticket upon entry and was free to sit anywhere except for the VIP tables reserved for the top 25 holders. He sat in the back with two other attendees and began to drink water.

Pinto's holdings in the Trump meme coin were significantly lower than those of the VIP attendees, who had spent an average of $4.8 million to secure their seats. Each attendee received a goodie bag containing a Trump meme coin hat, a small poster, and a plastic “celebration card.” Pinto also expected to receive a limited-edition NFT for attending and holding his tokens, but he was unable to confirm if he had received it.

Most attendees were dressed in formal attire, with Pinto opting for a t-shirt under a suit jacket. He noted the lack of women at the event, besides the host, Caitlin Sinclair. President Trump arrived in a helicopter, visible from the dinner hall, and the attendees rushed to the window to watch it land. The VIPs were then led to a private room, where long-time Trump business partner Bill Zanker introduced the president. Zanker praised the attendees for being the top holders of the TRUMP coin and suggested a third Trump term, which is constitutionally forbidden.

President Trump delivered a brief, four-minute speech in the VIP room, expressing his support for crypto and emphasizing the need for the United States to lead in this field. He then joined the main room for a longer 23-minute speech in front of four draped American flags. Trump discussed the resilience of crypto prices during market turbulence and stressed the importance of America's leadership in crypto and other new business fields.

Attendees had mixed reactions to the event. Some were inspired by Trump's charisma and support for the crypto industry, while others felt disappointed by the lack of special announcements or tradeable information. Morten Christensen, founder of AirdropAlert, described the event as a "bit of a snooze" and expressed disappointment at not receiving any photos or autographs. Pinto echoed this sentiment, stating that the dinner was false advertising and that the attendees were treated like puppets.

Outside the golf club, over 100 demonstrators protested the dinner, calling for an end to "crypto corruption." High-ranking U.S. Democrats had criticized the president for the perceived shadiness of the event, citing concerns about foreign actors buying political influence through the meme coin. However, Christensen did not view the event as particularly dramatic, describing it as a crypto dinner that quickly turned into a political rally.

Pinto was unimpressed with the dinner itself, describing the steak as cheap and overcooked. He also noted the lack of thorough security measures and the sketchy behavior of some attendees, who would block their faces when photographed. The raffle ticket was for one of six Trump-branded, limited-edition watches, with four reserved for the top four TRUMP holders, including Chinese crypto billionaire Justin Sun. Pinto did not win a watch but stated that it would not have changed his opinion of the event.