US President Donald Trump made more than $1bn (£750m) last year from business dealings in cryptocurrency, according to his mandatory financial report for 2025. The figure far outpaces his earnings from real estate, Trump-branded watches, and other ventures, raising questions about the intersection of presidential power and personal profit. The disclosure, running to 927 pages, shows $635m in royalties from a Trump meme coin launched days before he took office, and over $500m from World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency firm founded by his sons and the children of his special envoy Steve Witkoff. Trump earned millions more from his Mar-a-Lago club ($77m), his Doral golf club ($122m), and other properties, but crypto dominated his income stream.
The story begins with Trump's earlier hostility to cryptocurrency: he once called Bitcoin a "scam" and a "disaster waiting to happen". But after entering the White House, his family embraced the sector. The White House has repeatedly emphasised that Trump placed his businesses in a trust managed by his sons, and deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said he had "proudly made the US the crypto capital of the world". She added that "neither the President nor his family has ever engaged - or will ever engage - in conflicts of interest", and that Trump is not subject to federal conflict of interest laws. Critics, however, note the apparent contradiction between pursuing policies that benefit the crypto industry and personally profiting from it.
“Trump's $1bn crypto earnings and what they mean for presidential conflicts of interest”
For UK readers, the issue matters because US financial policies often ripple across the Atlantic. If the Trump administration deregulates crypto or promotes it globally, it could affect how the UK regulates digital assets, potentially influencing everything from investment risks to consumer protections. Moreover, the sheer scale of presidential earnings from an industry he directly influences raises concerns about governance and the integrity of international financial norms. The UK's own rules on ministerial interests are far stricter, but the dominance of the US economy means any perceived conflict at the top can undermine trust in markets worldwide.
Q: How much did Donald Trump earn from crypto in 2025? He disclosed over $1bn in total crypto income, including $635m from a Trump meme coin and over $500m from the cryptocurrency firm World Liberty Financial.
Q: Is it legal for a US president to profit from crypto while in office? Yes, because Trump is not subject to federal conflict of interest laws. However, critics argue it creates an ethical conflict when his policies could directly affect his personal fortune.
Q: Did Trump previously criticise cryptocurrency? Yes, during his first presidential campaign and term he called Bitcoin a "scam" and a "disaster waiting to happen". By 2025, his financial disclosure showed crypto as his largest income source.
What happens next? The disclosure has intensified calls for greater transparency and potential investigations into whether Trump's policies on crypto were influenced by his financial interests. Meanwhile, the value of the Trump meme coin has already plunged since its launch, and future regulatory moves will be closely watched both in the US and abroad.