Justin Sun, Founder of Tron, Attended a Private Dinner Hosted by Former President Donald Trump

It wasn’t long ago that Justin Sun, the founder of Tron, was navigating U.S. regulatory minefields as Grenada’s ambassador to the WTO. But times have clearly changed.

It wasn’t long ago that Justin Sun, the founder of Tron, was navigating U.S. regulatory minefields as Grenada’s ambassador to the WTO. But times have clearly changed.

Fast forward to now, and Sun is back on American soil—this time as a high-profile guest at a dinner hosted by none other than President Donald Trump.

This exclusive event also gathered the biggest holders of Trump’s own memecoin, TRUMP, and marked a surprising but bold moment in crypto’s evolving relationship with U.S. politics.

Sun, a well-known optimist for blockchain’s future, saw this gathering as a regulatory breakthrough. He was also hinting at the possibility of a Tron ETF emerging soon.

Speaking exclusively with CoinDesk after the dinner—which was staged amid protests against Trump’s presence at the hotel—Sun was keen to defend the memecoin movement and Trump’s involvement in it.

“All the haters really need to pay attention,” Sun urged. “Trump’s support for crypto is one of his best decisions. And we’re seeing good things happen with the industry.”

Sun quickly dismissed any suggestions that the TRUMP token is some sort of political bribe, adding that such claims are “short-sighted.” Instead, he highlighted what he sees as Trump’s role in pivoting the U.S. towards a more positive stance on digital assets.

Sun’s interest in Trump’s crypto ventures isn’t new. Shortly after the 2024 election, reports surfaced that Sun had personally invested a staggering $75 million in World Liberty Financial tokens—a move showcasing a significant bet on Trump’s pro-crypto agenda.

It’s worth noting that after Trump took office, the SEC paused a civil fraud case against Sun and Binance. The SEC has since backed out of several cases—although just this week, they filed a new case against Unicoin. Meanwhile, the DOJ has reportedly been investigating Sun since 2021, as per The Wall Street Journal.

Yet, despite this legal cloud hanging over him, Sun remains bullish.

“At the dinner, some folks told me they were planning to leave the U.S. due to Biden’s anti-crypto policies—they were thinking of Hong Kong or Singapore. But now they’re staying. Trump brings the energy back,” Sun shared.

Of course, not everyone is cheering. Trump’s decision to launch a memecoin has been slammed in the mainstream press, with some even trying to stitch together a narrative that the token is linked to extremist groups—a claim Sun quickly refuted.

“Let the critics say what they want. They have the First Amendment right to do so,” he said, pivoting back to highlight the broader mission of crypto.

Why Memecoins Matter

Memecoins have often drawn mixed reactions. At Consensus 2025, even Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy described them bluntly as “gambling” and likened them to Ponzi schemes—which he added, “is not a bad thing.”

But Sun sees it differently.

“Memecoins aren’t jokes, they’re entry points,” said Sun, highlighting examples like DOGE and SHIB which entered the market in 2013 and 2020 respectively. “Some projects will fail, some will succeed. It’s all part of entrepreneurship.”

For Sun, memecoins aren’t just a part of the crypto ecosystem—they're crucial for its fabric.

“We support every piece of the crypto puzzle,” Sun elaborated. “Whether it’s DeFi, NFTs, or yes, even memecoins—they all play a role in making crypto mainstream.”