Top bidders to attend Trump meme coin dinner appear to be based in foreign countries

More than half of the top holders listed as competing for seats at President Trump's next meme coin dinner have used cryptocurrency exchanges that prohibit U.S. customers, indicating that many of the buyers are based overseas, according to a CBS News analysis.

Mr. Trump is billed as the featured speaker alongside three yet-to-be-named "legends." The top 29 holders will get upfront seating and a VIP reception with the president, the website says.

Mr. Trump earned at least $635 million in royalties last year from a licensing deal tied to the $TRUMP token, according to his financial disclosure. Mr. Trump stands to earn more money from the coin, since an affiliate of the Trump Organization earns revenue whenever the coin is traded, according to the meme coin's website.

Out of the 100 top holders listed as competing for seats, at least 52 moved funds through crypto exchanges that bar U.S. customers, including Binance, Bybit and MEXC, according to the CBS News analysis.

Because exchanges like Binance bar U.S. customers, analysts typically treat accounts that use them as likely belonging to people outside the U.S., said Matt Fiebach, co-founder of the crypto data firm Entropy Advisors.

A cryptocurrency exchange is a company, much like a stock brokerage, where customers trade dollars or other currencies for crypto. CIC Digital LLC, a Trump Organization affiliate, and another company, Fight Fight Fight, together own 80% of the total $TRUMP supply, according to the project's website. The parent company of Fight Fight Fight, Celebration Cards LLC, uses Mr. Trump's name and likeness under a licensing agreement, the website adds.

CBS News examined the transaction histories of the crypto wallets listed on the gala leaderboard using data from the blockchain intelligence firm Arkham. While it's not possible to see who owns specific wallets, it is possible to identify which exchanges are being used to purchase crypto tokens.

In 2023, Binance was forced to offload its U.S. customers after it pleaded guilty to federal charges that included failure to prevent money laundering on its platform and sanctions violations.

Exchanges can also shed light on who might be making moves to sell their tokens. The largest holder of $TRUMP moved about $70 million worth of the coin in September to an account where it could be sold, just before the gala dinner contest was announced, The Washington Sun reported.

Democrats and progressive watchdog groups have raised foreign influence questions about the $TRUMP coin, warning that people overseas could be paying for access to the president.

While it may be possible for a U.S.-based user to circumvent foreign exchange prohibitions by masking their location using a virtual private network, or VPN, many exchanges say they take measures intended to prevent this.

This wouldn't be the first time the president has headlined a $TRUMP coin gala. Mr. Trump appeared at a similar meme coin dinner in May 2025 at his golf club in Virginia, and another this April at his Mar-a-Lago resort.