President of the United States Donald Trump provided clarification regarding federal financial disclosures showing revenue of over US$ 1.4 billion, equivalent to IDR 25 trillion, from the crypto asset sector. Trump stated that he is not technically involved in managing these assets, as his entire investment portfolio has been turned over to investment managers through a blind trust scheme.
According to documents from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, the majority of this massive income originated from the World Liberty Financial project and licensing royalties for the TRUMP-branded memecoin. Specifically, the memecoin licensing sector contributed more than US$ 600 million, while World Liberty Financial contributed over US$ 500 million through the development of governance tokens and stablecoin products.
Trump emphasized that his involvement in the digital asset industry began long before he returned to the presidency. He views crypto and artificial intelligence (AI) as strategic sectors that must be led by the United States to maintain global competitiveness. Nevertheless, these statements have not quelled criticism from various parties regarding potential conflicts of interest.
A number of ethics experts and Democratic Party members have questioned the effectiveness of the blind trust mechanism, given the large amount of funds under management and investments from foreign entities, such as those affiliated with the United Arab Emirates. These concerns have intensified following token price fluctuations that triggered losses for retail investors, while Trump-affiliated companies continued to collect royalty income.
To date, no evidence of legal violations regarding the operation of these digital assets has been found. Nonetheless, the Trump administration remains firm on its agenda to strengthen the crypto industry, including legislative efforts through the proposed GENIUS Act. Economic observers recommend that the relationship between government policies and the Trump family's business interests in the crypto sector remain under strict scrutiny to maintain public transparency.
