Trump Defends Crypto Earnings Amid Allegations of Paying for Influence

US President Donald Trump recently defended his family's massive earnings from cryptocurrencies during an interview with CNBC. The Office of Government Ethics revealed that the President earned over $2.2 billion in 2025, with a significant portion coming from World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a DeFi platform co-founded by Trump and his sons.

The bulk of the income comes from WLFI, contributing $594 million, while another $636 million was generated from the sale of branded meme coins. Additionally, Trump holds more than $50 million in Bitcoin in a cold wallet.

When questioned about the legitimacy of these earnings, Trump stated that there is 'nothing illegal or wrong' with his family's crypto activities. He claimed that any business involving his family could be seen as a conflict of interest but maintained that they have not acted against the public interest.

Economist Peter Schiff countered this argument, stating that those who buy tokens linked to Trump are essentially paying for access and political influence, rather than making conventional investments.