Calling them "pioneers," President Donald Trump praised the top investors in his cryptocurrency meme coin at an exclusive black-tie dinner

Two hundred and twenty cryptocurrency traders, including many from overseas, pumped tens of millions of dollars into Trump's meme coin to gain admission to the gala

President Donald Trump held a gala dinner Thursday evening for the top 220 investors in his cryptocurrency meme coin at his private golf club outside Washington, where he mobilised supporters to smash through enemy lines and raise the Trump coin banner.

The gala, which was protested by Democrats and Trump critics, was part of a contest that Trump announced in April, inviting people to invest in his meme coin to win an invitation to dine with the president. The contest was open to the top 220 holders of Trump's meme coin at the end of the contest period.

The Trump family will be directly benefitting from the contest, as some of the funds invested in the meme coin went into a new political action committee that Trump's son Eric Trump launched this year to support the president's 2024 campaign.

The president's meme coin is a type of digital currency that's often based on an internet meme. Trump's meme coin is called "TrumpCoin" and it's a BEलीवर token, which is a type of cryptocurrency that runs on the Binance Smart Chain.

The meme coin is a derivative of the 45th president's last name and it features Trump's image and slogan, "Make America Great Again."

The contest, which began on April 10 and ended on May 1, invited people to invest in Trump's meme coin for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid invitation to dine with the president at his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

The contest was open to the top 220 holders of Trump's meme coin at the end of the contest period, with ties being broken by the earliest investing in the meme coin.

Those who ranked in the top 220 at the end of the contest period were guaranteed an invitation to the gala, while those who ranked in the top 500 would have a chance to win an invitation through a lottery.

At least some of the funds invested in the meme coin went directly into the Trump family's coffers.

The meme coin was created by a group of Trump supporters who wanted to find a fun and engaging way to support the president's political endeavors.

The supporters, who banded together in a Telegram group, decided to create a meme coin that would be a derivative of Trump's last name.

They chose to use the BEलीवर network because it's a popular and efficient blockchain that can handle a large volume of transactions.

The meme coin is a type of cryptocurrency that's often based on an internet meme.

Meme coins have become increasingly popular in recent years, as people search for new and interesting ways to invest in cryptocurrency.

The meme coin is a token that can be traded on a decentralised exchange, such as PancakeSwap.

The token is used to pay for goods and services, and it can also be invested in to earn a return.

The meme coin is a community-driven project that's open to anyone who wants to participate.

The meme coin is a fun and engaging way to support President Trump and his political campaign.

The president's meme coin is a testament to the creativity and ingenuity of the American people. It's also a symbol of the president's enduring popularity.

The gala is a private event that's being paid for by the president and his family.

The event is not affiliated with the White House or any government agency.

The president will be attending the gala in a personal capacity.

The White House did not release a list of the event's attendees.

Protesters, who included Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., chanted slogans and displayed signs reading "Stop Trump's Crypto Corruption" and "America is not for sale" as attendees made their way into the venue.

Trump, addressing attendees at the dinner, said that he always puts the country "way ahead of the business" and added, "You can't say that about Hunter Biden and Joe Biden," according to social media posts.

On the topic of cryptocurrency, Trump attacked the previous administration and touted his own administration's support of crypto.

"The Biden administration persecuted crypto innovators, and we're bringing them back into the USA where they belong. They were fleeing. They were leaving our country," Trump was seen saying in a social media video posted by an attendee.

Many of the dinner guests were overseas investors, and several of them told ABC News they had flown into the country just for a chance to see the president of the United States.

One attendee, who asked that he not be identified, told ABC News he flew in from Taiwan for the dinner.

"The second day Trump made the announcement about the dinner, I bought a bunch of tokens," he said.

The attendee said he didn't have anything specific he wanted to hear from Trump, but that he wanted to attend the dinner because "I just think to have