Former U.S. President Donald Trump held a fundraising dinner aimed at financing a new ballroom in the White House, attended by major figures from the cryptocurrency sector. Notable attendees included Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, the founders of Gemini, alongside executives from Ripple and Coinbase.

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the dinner invited attendees to donate towards a ballroom project estimated at $250 million, which will expand the White House by approximately 90,000 square feet (8,361 square meters). Cointelegraph made inquiries to the involved companies and the White House regarding donation amounts but did not receive any responses prior to publication.

This dinner took place during a period of government shutdown in the U.S., where federal operations are limited and many staff members are on furlough. No agreement for government funding has been made between Congressional Democrats and Republicans as of Thursday.

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Other notable figures at the gathering included representatives from major tech firms such as Meta, Google, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, and Microsoft. Additionally, former Bakkt CEO Kelly Loeffler, now leading the Small Business Administration, was in attendance.

Crypto Companies Strengthening Political Connections

Prior to this fundraising event, many crypto representatives, including CEOs and executives, were in Washington, D.C., advocating for the broader acceptance of digital assets and blockchain technologies.

During Trump’s campaign for the 2024 presidential election, the Winklevoss twins committed $2 million in Bitcoin (BTC) to Trump’s candidacy. The brothers have remained actively engaged in political affairs, attending important ceremonies and donating to pro-Trump initiatives. Similarly, Ripple’s Brad Garlinghouse and Stuart Alderoty have fostered relationships with Trump’s administration since his election, participating in significant meetings and advertising campaigns.

Coinbase’s Brian Armstrong has also been a frequent visitor to Capitol Hill, engaging with lawmakers to advance legislative measures related to cryptocurrency. Coinbase contributed $1 million to Trump’s inauguration efforts, and Armstrong had a personal meeting with Trump later in his presidency.