US President Donald Trump hosted a dinner for companies that have pledged money to build a new ballroom at the White House, and was reportedly attended by Gemini co-founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, as well as executives from Coinbase and Ripple.
The Winklevosses and representatives from Coinbase Global and Ripple Labs were among the donors and attendees at the White House dinner, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The banquet is reportedly intended to help fund a White House banquet hall proposed by President Trump in July, estimated to cost $250 million.
The banquet hall is expected to add approximately 90,000 square feet (8,361 square meters) to the White House. Cointelegraph reached out to Coinbase, Ripple, Gemini, and the White House for comment on the donation amount, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
The fundraising dinner came at the end of the 15th day of the U.S. government shutdown, as many federal agencies are operating with limited resources and employees have been furloughed. As of Thursday, there were no reports that Democrats and Republicans in Congress had reached a deal to pass legislation to continue funding the government.
Related: President Trump's second term gives family $1 billion in crypto assets: report
Representatives from Meta, Google, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, and Microsoft also reportedly attended the fundraising event. Kelly Loeffler, Bakkt's former CEO and current head of the Small Business Administration under President Trump, was also reportedly in attendance.
Cryptocurrency companies deepen ties with government and become politically involved
Prior to Wednesday's fundraising dinner, representatives from crypto companies, including CEOs and executives, were visiting lawmakers and regulators in Washington, D.C., as part of promoting adoption of digital assets and blockchain.
During Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, the Winklevoss promised then-President Trump $2 million in Bitcoin (BTC). The brothers continue to have a strong presence in Washington and the White House, attending the signing of the GENIUS stablecoin bill in July and donating $21 million to a pro-Trump political action committee ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderroti have also developed close ties to the Trump administration since winning the presidential election. The two met with the then-president-elect in November and attended an inauguration event in January where Ripple ads were displayed in the city's subway stations.
Garlinghouse also met with Trump and other industry leaders at the White House Crypto Summit in March.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong is also on Capitol Hill, meeting with US lawmakers in support of the GENIUS Act and the Cryptocurrency Market Structure Act. The cryptocurrency exchange also donated $1 million to President Trump's inaugural fund, and Mr. Armstrong met with the president one-on-one in November.
magazine: It wasn't easy for President Trump to quit his top crypto job: Beau Hines
