CBS Analysis Finds Many Top Trump Meme Coin Dinner Contenders Used Overseas Crypto Exchanges

More than half of the top cryptocurrency wallets competing for seats at President Donald Trump’s next meme coin dinner have used exchanges that prohibit US customers, suggesting that many of the participants may be based outside the United States, according to a CBS News analysis.

President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend a November dinner for major holders of the $TRUMP meme coin, an event that has raised questions about transparency and foreign participation. [Photo: Binance]

The dinner is scheduled for November 22 at Trump National Golf Club outside Washington, D.C.

The event’s website says the 185 largest holders of the $TRUMP meme coin will qualify for seats, although its public leaderboard lists only the top 100 holders.

Trump is advertised as the featured speaker alongside three additional guests described as “legends.” The top 29 holders are promised premium seating and a VIP reception with the president.

CBS News examined the transaction histories of the cryptocurrency wallets listed on the leaderboard using blockchain data from Arkham.

It found that at least 52 of the top 100 wallets had moved funds through exchanges that prohibit US customers, including Binance, Bybit and MEXC.

The analysis does not establish the identities or nationalities of the wallet owners. However, the use of exchanges that bar US customers suggests that some of the holders may be located abroad or may be acting through overseas entities.

The wallets associated with those exchanges accounted for nearly $6.8 million of the more than $15 million in value reflected on the leaderboard at the time of the analysis.

The event has renewed scrutiny of Trump’s financial interests in cryptocurrency. According to his financial disclosure, Trump received at least $635 million in royalties last year from a licensing arrangement tied to the $TRUMP token.

An affiliate of the Trump Organization also earns revenue when the token is traded, according to the project’s website.

Critics argue that an event offering access to the president based on cryptocurrency holdings creates risks involving transparency, conflicts of interest and possible foreign influence.

Zach Everson, a researcher with Public Citizen, criticized the arrangement, saying foreign actors once needed indirect channels to seek influence with a president but could now potentially gain access by purchasing the token.

The White House has said the dinner is a private event rather than a government function and denied that attendance offers any promise of official action in return.

The findings do not prove that any particular foreign government or individual is seeking to influence Trump through the token.

They do, however, highlight how public blockchain transactions can provide clues about the exchanges used by participants while leaving the identities behind many wallets unknown.