TL;DR:
- Trump stated in a CNBC interview that there is “nothing illegal or wrong” with his family earning millions from cryptocurrencies while he holds the presidency.
- Documents from the Office of Government Ethics revealed income exceeding $2.2 billion in 2025, with $594 million from WLFI and $636 million from meme coins.
- Economist Peter Schiff argued that those who buy Trump tokens are paying for political influence, not for investment value.
Donald Trump publicly defended his family’s gains in the crypto asset market during an interview with CNBC. Asked about the multimillion-dollar income detailed in his annual financial disclosure, the President of the United States responded that there is “nothing illegal, nothing wrong” with his businesses generating billions while he occupies the White House.
The 927-page document published by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics revealed that the President received more than $2.2 billion in 2025. The bulk of that income comes from two cryptocurrency-related sources: World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a DeFi platform co-founded with his sons Eric and Donald Jr., which contributed $594 million; and the sale of branded meme coins, which generated an additional $636 million. The disclosure also reports that the President holds more than $50 million in Bitcoin in a cold wallet.
The Presidency and Its Crypto Business Under Scrutiny
In the conversation with journalist Joe Kernen, Trump stated that his assets are managed by trusts run by his sons and by external firms with which he claims to have no contact. “I don’t even know who they are“, he said, adding that he does not discuss investment decisions with his sons either.
At the same time, he acknowledged that any business involving his family could be interpreted as a conflict of interest, given the breadth of presidential policies. The White House rejected those accusations and maintained that the President and his family have not acted against the public interest.
The President also reiterated his strategic stance on cryptocurrencies: if the United States does not lead the sector, China will. “I want to be number one in everything we do, and we are number one in crypto”, he stated.
Is Trump Selling Political Influence?
The official defenses did not convince everyone. Economist and Bitcoin critic Peter Schiff argued on his podcast that Trump’s income is directly tied to the exercise of the presidency.
According to Schiff, those who acquire tokens linked to the President are not making conventional investments, but paying for access and political influence.
Data from CoinGecko shows that Official Trump (TRUMP) and Melania Meme (MELANIA) trade 97% and 99% below their all-time highs, respectively, figures the economist used to support his argument. “It’s a way of bribing the president“, Schiff stated. “You don’t need to give him money directly; you just buy his token“.
