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A Helicopter, Halibut, and ‘Y.M.C.A’: Inside Donald Trump’s Memecoin Dinner

by admin May 23, 2025

As US president Donald Trump left the stage at his golf club near Washington, DC, on Thursday night, he pointed to the crowd, brought his index finger to his temple—as if to say: You know what’s coming—then began to dance. To the beat of “Y.M.C.A” by The Village People, Trump shimmied, gyrated, and pumped his arms above his head.

Looking on were more than 200 people who had been invited to the Trump National Golf Club for a private gala dinner. They had won their seats by purchasing large quantities of Trump’s own crypto coin—TRUMP—some holding millions of dollars’ worth.

Courtesy of Sky/LuckyFuture.ai

On the menu for the evening was pan-seared halibut with a citrus reduction, a filet mignon with demi glaze—and, the attendees hoped, a chance to speak to the US president. Four of the guests agreed to tell WIRED about their experience.

By late afternoon, the dinner guests had started to filter through the gates of the golf club. By comparison to Trump’s previous banquets, thronging with DC insiders and members of the Silicon Valley elite, the crypto dinner attracted a mismatched collection of oddballs: independent traders rubbed shoulders with crypto executives, die-hard Trump fans, and even professional sports stars—former NBA player Lamar Odom towered overhead. A handful wore bowties in Bitcoin orange; others sported gold Trump sneakers.

Just after 7 pm, the dinner guests gathered at the window to watch Trump descend in Marine One, his presidential helicopter. A short while later, he appeared from behind a blue velvet curtain to whoops and applause from the crowd. Had they seen the helicopter, Trump asked. “Yeah, super cool!” somebody yelled.

From behind a lectern at one end of the dining room, backdropped by four US flags, Trump delivered a characteristically winding and digressive speech that sources say lasted around 25 minutes. At some point, he got round to crypto.

“We’ve got some of the smartest minds anywhere in the world right here in this room,” said Trump. “You believe in the whole crypto thing. A lot of people are starting to believe in it … This is really something that may be special—who knows, right? Who knows—but it may be special.”

When Trump first promoted his memecoin in January, three days before the inauguration, the limited amount released into circulation rose in value to $14 billion. The remaining 80 percent of the supply is controlled by CIC Digital LLC—a subsidiary of a conglomerate owned by the Trump family—and Fight Fight Fight LLC, formed by longtime Trump ally Bill Zanker. With little more than a social media post, Trump had added billions of dollars to his paper net worth. (The value of the circulating coins has since slumped to roughly $3 billion.)

The team behind the TRUMP coin announced the presidential dinner for the top 220 holders on April 23, promising the top 25 a close-quarters reception with Trump. The attendees would be selected based on who had held the most coins and kept them the longest between the announcement date and May 12, the website explained.

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May 23, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Trump’s Meme Coin Dinner Draws Protests Calling For End to ‘Crypto Corruption’

by admin May 23, 2025

In brief

Protesters carried signs like “Grift Gala” and “America is not for sale” as Trump dined with $TRUMP token holders.
The protest event was organized by Americans for Tax Fairness, Public Citizen, and Our Revolution.
Ahead of the dinner, democrats introduced a bill banning presidents from crypto ownership while serving their terms.

More than a hundred protestors gathered Thursday outside Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, as President Donald Trump hosted a controversial private dinner for top holders of his meme cryptocurrency, $TRUMP.

Demonstrators waved placards reading “Stop Crypto Corruption” and chanted “Shame!” as the president arrived.

One group hoisted a giant golden coin bearing Trump’s scowling face, drawing attention to what they labeled a “Grift Gala”.

The protest was coordinated by advocacy groups, including Americans for Tax Fairness, Public Citizen, and Our Revolution, which denounced the event as political influence for sale.

“Trump is openly selling influence through his meme coins while selling out Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for his rich donors. It’s beyond corrupt,” said Our Revolution in a statement on X.

The White House press office has been contacted for comment.

The backlash adds to mounting scrutiny over Trump’s embrace of digital assets, which critics say blurs ethical lines between public office and personal gain.

The dinner was held for the top 220 investors in the $TRUMP token, a meme coin launched by the president in January. According to organizers, the top 25 holders will also attend a cocktail reception Friday evening.

The complete guest list has not been disclosed. Confirmed attendees include crypto mogul Justin Sun, who was previously under U.S. investigation for his crypto dealings.

Lamar Odom, the former NBA star and ex-husband of Khloé Kardashian, was also spotted entering the event.

Press access to the event was denied, and White House officials declined to release the attendee list as the president is “attending it in his personal time.”

As Trump and his family’s crypto ventures mount, legislators are seeking to temper his ability to profit from crypto hype he is in part driving himself.

Ahead of the gala, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) introduced the “Stop TRUMP in Crypto Act of 2025,” barring sitting presidents and close relatives from owning or profiting from cryptocurrencies.

“Enough is enough,” Waters previously said in a statement shared with Decrypt. “Congress can no longer ignore the biggest scam and abuse of power in American history.”

Criticism has also emerged from within the crypto community. Some developers and investors warned that Trump’s direct entanglement in meme coins damages legitimacy and invites regulatory blowback.

Edited by Sebastian Sinclair

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May 23, 2025 0 comments

Esports

USA not in camp to ‘play golf, go for dinner,’ Poch says

by admin May 23, 2025

May 22, 2025, 02:25 PM ET

United States coach Mauricio Pochettino set some expectations ahead of the team’s return to action at this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup after a disastrous fourth-place finish at the Nations League in March.

One message: Leave the golf clubs at home.

“If you arrive to the camp and you want to spend nice time, play golf, go for a dinner, visit my family, visit my friend, that is the culture that we want to create?” Pochettino asked out loud Thursday during a Zoom news conference after announcing his 27-man roster. “No, no, no, no, no. What we want to do is to go to the national team, arrive and be focused and spend all my focus and energy in the national team.

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“If we want be good in one year time, we need to think that today is the most important day.”

The Americans will be in camp ahead of a busy summer, which includes a pair of friendlies against European heavyweights Turkey and Switzerland in early June and then the Gold Cup, which goes from June 15 to July 7.

Christian Pulisic is among a slew of regular starters who won’t be there. The U.S. captain is getting some needed rest after a busy season with AC Milan. Timothy Weah, Weston McKennie and Giovanni Reyna aren’t in the squad either, as all three will be playing with their teams at the Club World Cup, which runs concurrently with the Gold Cup.

Sixteen of the players picked are from MLS, the most in a FIFA window since the U.S. sent a B team to the 2023 Gold Cup, and Pochettino hopes the absence of some of the team’s star players will give others the chance to convince worried fans a turnaround is ahead.

“It’s our responsibility to send some signal to them,” Pochettino added. “I think our fans need to see our team fighting and playing and performing and playing well, yes, but fighting for the flag and being always in every single game [to] match the aggressivity of the opponent.”

Pulisic, the top American player, asked to be left off the roster for the last competitive matches before the 2026 World Cup in order to rest after playing about 120 games for club and country over two seasons.

Yunus Musah also asked out and Antonee Robinson was dropped because he has been playing with an injury. Josh Sargent, Joe Scally, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Tanner Tessmann — all of whom just finished their seasons with clubs in Europe — were omitted in what Pochettino called “football decisions.”

Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images

U.S. Soccer Federation sporting director Matt Crocker said Pulisic and his advisers asked for the possibility to be left off because of the number of games he has played in the past two years.

“Many people can say it’s really important for us to be all together for the last time before the World Cup,” Pochettino said. “We decided the best for him, the best of the team, the best for the national team is the decision that we made.”

Pochettino replaced Gregg Berhalter after the team’s group-stage elimination at the Copa América last summer. After the Gold Cup, he will have just four brief training windows on FIFA international dates before players report ahead of the World Cup.

In the team’s first significant test under Pochettino, the Americans lost to Panama and Canada in the Nations League in March. Without saying players had been complacent, Pochettino said “we learned a lot in the last few camps, for sure in March, and it’s about to be — maybe use a different way to approach these opportunities.”

Outside back Sergiño Dest returns to the national team for the first time since March 2024 after recovering from a torn ACL. Forward Folarin Balogun is with the team for the first time since last September following his recuperation from shoulder surgery.

Pochettino’s roster included Alex Freeman, a son of former NFL All-Pro receiver Antonio Freeman. The 20-year-old right back made his MLS debut for Orlando City SC in April 2023 — his only league match that season. He had two MLS appearances last year and has become a regular this season.

Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, a 24-year-old son of the former coach, also was picked for the first time along with 20-year-old forward Damion Downs and 21-year-old defender Quinn Sullivan, the older brother of and teammate of Philadelphia Union teen prodigy Cavan Sullivan.

Downs has played on youth teams of Germany and the U.S., and helped Cologne gain promotion to the Bundesliga for 2025-26 after a one-season absence.

Goalkeeper Matt Freese, who has attended national team camp previously but not played in a game, also was selected.

Players will start reporting June 1 for training in Chicago, and the 26-man Gold Cup roster is due June 4. The U.S. plays Turkey on June 7 in East Hartford, Connecticut, and Switzerland three days later at Nashville, Tennessee, then meets Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia and Haiti in the group stage of the Gold Cup.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.

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May 23, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

‘Orgy of Corruption’: Senators Slam Trump Crypto Dinner, Demand Info on Attendees

by admin May 22, 2025

Congressional Democrats unloaded on President Donald Trump’s plans to dine with top holders of his meme coin this evening, demanding answers about who will be in attendance, and framing the event as an unprecedented assault on longstanding disclosure norms associated with the U.S. presidency.

“Donald Trump’s dinner is an orgy of corruption,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said during a press conference Thursday. “The American people have no idea who is buying access to the president, and no idea what they are getting in return.”

The top 220 holders of Trump’s meme coin have been invited to dine with him this evening at his Washington-area golf club. The top 25 holders, who have in some cases spent tens of millions of dollars purchasing the president’s token, will have the opportunity to speak with the president during an even more intimate VIP reception.

The event will be closed to the press, and the White House has previously declined to answer questions about it, stating that it pertains to President Trump’s personal life and not his official role as president. Trump and his business partners have also thus far refrained from releasing information about who will be dining with the president tonight, or what will be discussed.

One confirmed attendee of the event is Chinese-born crypto billionaire Justin Sun, who was under investigation by the Department of Justice for suspected financial crimes and was sued by the SEC in 2023 for alleged fraud and market manipulation. In February, the SEC moved to pause its litigation against Sun and work towards “a potential resolution” in the case.

“It provides cover for the most corrupt, for the most compromised, for the worst of the worst, to channel money to Donald Trump in order to get their private audience with him—in order to plead their case for favorable treatment from the federal government, or for investment from the U.S. taxpayer,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said of tonight’s dinner.

At today’s press conference, Democrats urged the president to, at the very least, disclose the identities of the meme coin investors he will dine with tonight. A large sign in front of the podium during this afternoon’s press conference read: “Release the Guest List.”

“Let the American people know who has bought access to the president,” Murphy said. “If you think that this is all above board, then what are you hiding?”

Decrypt reached out to the White House asking whether the president plans to release a guest list for tonight’s dinner at some point, but we did not immediately receive a response.

Other senators, including Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), underscored the risk of a sitting U.S. president exposing himself to financial influence from foreign actors. Most of the Trump token’s top investors are customers of foreign crypto exchanges barred from serving U.S. customers.

“It’s not just about corruption,” Blumenthal said. “It is about corruption that endangers our national security by putting the president in a compromised position in relation to foreign powers.”

Numerous Democratic senators also took the opportunity this afternoon to tie the president’s alleged crypto conflicts of interest to digital assets legislation pending before Congress. Several lawmakers directly referenced the GENIUS Act, the stablecoin bill currently under active consideration in the Senate that was nearly derailed earlier this month over outrage in the Democratic Party over Trump’s various crypto ventures.

Democratic senators, including Murphy, Warren, and Blumenthal, insisted that an amendment be added to the GENIUS Act prohibiting the president from issuing and profiting off his own stablecoin while in office. Trump’s DeFi venture, World Liberty Financial, issued its own stablecoin in March. Democrats should reject the bill if it ends up lacking that amendment, they said.

“Without this fix, we’re not regulating stablecoins,” Warren said. “We are turbocharging the same corruption that we are witnessing tonight as Donald Trump opens the White House doors and sells favors to his wealthy crypto allies.”

Opposition to Trump’s crypto ventures is quickly crystallizing into one of Democrats’ most salient critiques against the president’s second term. Earlier today, House Democrats introduced a bill that would restrict the president and his immediate family from engaging in crypto-related business dealings while he serves in office.

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May 22, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Trump’s Memecoin Dinner Draws Crowded Cast of Democratic Protesters from Congress

by admin May 22, 2025

As President Donald Trump’s biggest memcoin buyers such as Tron founder Justin Sun bask in his attention over dinner on Thursday, Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups have arrayed a series of protests and complaint sessions to decry the president’s crypto event as fundamentally corrupt.

Trump will host his dinner for more than 200 of his leading memecoin investors, whose money will fill the coffers of the president’s own business entities. They’ve reportedly been invited to his capital-area golf course, the Trump National Golf Club Washington, D.C., outside of which the memecoin buyers may encounter protesters.

Some of the counter-programming for his dinner will start earlier in the day in front of the Capitol Building. At 12:45 p.m., Representative Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, will round up other lawmakers in front of the House steps to rail against Trump, accusing him of abusing his White House powers to “shamelessly promote and profit from a series of crypto ventures tied to himself and his family,” according to a notice about the event.

Waters will also introduce a new messaging bill “to block Trump’s memecoin and stop his crypto corruption, once and for all.” The legislation, which is unlikely to make headway in a Republican-majority Congress, would ban presidents, vice presidents, members of Congress and their families from “engaging in similar crypto crime.”

It’s the same type of ban that Democrats had been seeking to insert into crypto legislation, but Republicans have declined to let Trump-targeting language into the current digital assets bills, including the Senate stablecoin effort getting close to the finish line.

Later on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m., another press conference of Democratic lawmakers will feature Senators Chris Murphy and Elizabeth Warren, both of whom have been prominent in congressional criticism against Trump’s crypto actions. Murphy had introduced his own bill with a similar aim to Waters’, the Modern Emoluments and Malfeasance Enforcement (MEME) Act to stop federal officials from using their positions to profit from digital assets.

That event — also outside the Capitol — will additionally feature Senator Jeff Merkley, who also intends to join an evening protest right outside Trump’s golf course, hosted by progressive groups under the banner of Our Revolution. The message of the “America Is Not For Sale” rally is to push back on “a blatant example of political access being sold to the highest bidder,” according to the group.

The guest list for the memecoin dinner hasn’t been made public, but analysis of the buying of those coins suggest that the biggest spenders devoted millions for the privilege of joining the president at the event. The attendees’ anonymity is part of the problem, according to critics, who say that foreign buyers are gaining access to the president without the knowledge of the public.

Debate over the president’s crypto ties temporarily delayed progress on the U.S. stablecoin legislation meant to set up rules for domestic issuers, but the bill got back on track this week to clear an important procedural hurdle in the Senate on Monday.

Trump’s team has downplayed accusations of corruption. White House official Bo Hines said last week at CoinDesk’s Consensus 2025 conference in Toronto that the Trump family’s crypto ventures do not pose conflicts of interest, and they have “the right to engage in capital markets.”

Read More: Justin Sun Emerges as Donald Trump Memecoin’s Top Holder With $21.9M Stake

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May 22, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

The Tesla bot isn’t superhuman yet, but it can make dinner

by admin May 21, 2025

A week ago we saw Tesla’s Optimus robot showing off some nifty dance moves. This week, you can watch it performing a bunch of mundane tasks, though admittedly with a great deal of skill — for a humanoid robot.

Instructed via natural language prompts, the so-called “Tesla bot” is shown in a new video dumping trash in a bin, cleaning food off a table with a dustpan and brush, tearing off a sheet of paper towel, stirring a pot of food, and vacuuming the floor, among other tasks.

The performance may not shake the world of humanoid robotics to its core, but it nevertheless shows the kind of steady progress that Tesla engineers are making, with the bot’s actions and movements becoming evermore complex.

Commenting on the latest clip, Optimus team boss Milan Kovac said in a post on X: “One of our goals is to have Optimus learn straight from internet videos of humans doing tasks.” Just to be clear, that doesn’t mean the robot will literally watch videos like a human. Instead, it suggests that the robot will learn from the vast amount of data available in those videos, such as demonstrations of tasks, movements, or behaviors.

Kovac said that his team recently had a “significant breakthrough” that means it can now transfer “a big chunk of the learning directly from human videos to the bots (1st- person views for now),” explaining that this allows his team to bootstrap new tasks much more quickly compared to using teleoperated bot data alone.

Next, the plan is to make Optimus more reliable by getting it to practice tasks on its own — either in the real world or in simulations — using reinforcement learning, a method that improves actions through trial and error.

Tesla boss Elon Musk, who has spoken enthusiastically of Optimus ever since the company first announced it in 2021, has claimed that “thousands” of the robots may one day be deployed alongside human staff at Tesla factories, taking care of “dangerous, repetitive, [and] boring tasks.”

The company, better known for making electric cars than humanoid robots, is racing against a growing number of tech firms globally that are intent on commercializing their humanoid robots, whether for the workplace, home, or perhaps some entirely new human-robot ecosystems yet to be imagined.

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May 21, 2025 0 comments