US President Donald Trump hosted a dinner for companies committing funds to construct a new ballroom in the White House, with attendees reportedly including Gemini co-founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, and executives from Coinbase and Ripple.
According to a Wall Street Journal report on Wednesday, among the donors and guests at the White House dinner were the Winklevoss twins and representatives from Coinbase Global and Ripple Labs. The dinner was reportedly targeted at securing funding for the ballroom proposed by Trump in July, estimated to cost $250 million.
The ballroom is set 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 comments on the donation amounts but had not received a response by the time of publication.
This fundraising dinner occurred at the conclusion of the 15th day of a US government shutdown, which has left many federal agencies operating with limited personnel and employees furloughed. As of Thursday, there have been no reports of an agreement between Democrats and Republicans in Congress to pass a bill to continue funding the government.
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Additional attendees reported at the fundraising event included representatives from Meta, Google, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, and Microsoft. Former Bakkt CEO Kelly Loeffler, currently serving as the administrator of the Small Business Administration under Trump, was also reportedly present.
Crypto companies strengthening ties to administration, increasing political engagement
Prior to the Wednesday fundraising dinner, representatives from crypto companies, including CEOs and executives, visited lawmakers and regulators in Washington, D.C., advocating for broader adoption of digital assets and blockchain technology.
During Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, the Winklevosses committed $2 million in Bitcoin (BTC) to the then-candidate. The brothers have maintained a presence in Washington and at the White House, attending a signing ceremony for the GENIUS stablecoin bill in July and donating $21 million to a pro-Trump political action committee prior to the 2026 midterms.
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty have also forged strong connections with the Trump administration since his election victory. They met with the then-president-elect in November and attended inauguration events in January, with Ripple ads displayed in metro stations around the city.
Garlinghouse also engaged with Trump and other industry leaders at a crypto summit at the White House in March.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has been a regular figure on Capitol Hill, meeting with US lawmakers to champion the GENIUS Act and crypto market structure legislation. The crypto exchange also donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund, with Armstrong having a one-on-one meeting with the president in November.
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