- Trump Jr. invested $4 million in crypto-focused startup Thumzup despite minimal revenue.
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Thumzup allocates up to 90% of its liquid assets to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
- Eric Trump joined crypto-heavy Metaplanet; both brothers advise Dominari Securities.
Donald Trump Jr. has drawn renewed attention with a $4 million stake in Thumzup Media Corp., a little-known Los Angeles startup operating at the intersection of social media and advertising technology.
Thumzup, which pays everyday users to promote brands on Instagram, has not been a financial standout—reporting only $151 in revenue and more than $2 million in losses in the first quarter of 2025.
Still, the company has become an odd emblem of a growing trend: businesses accumulating cryptocurrency as a central element of corporate strategy.
The move involving 350,000 shares acquired by Trump Jr. appears less driven by immediate revenue prospects and more by backing a new form of digital play.
The Thumzup board approved a bold shift in strategy that permits up to 90% of the company’s liquid assets to be held in Bitcoin and other crypto assets.
As of early July, the company held 19,106 BTC, worth roughly $2.1 million at current market prices.
While a “Bitcoin treasury” approach has been popularized by firms such as MicroStrategy, Thumzup seems to be taking the concept further.
After raising $6 million in a recent private financing round, the board approved diversifying its crypto holdings to include Ethereum, Solana, Dogecoin, Litecoin, Ripple, and USD Coin.
Company leaders say the expanded portfolio is intended not only to hedge Bitcoin’s volatility but also to capture broader upside across the crypto market.
The shift also enables Thumzup to accept crypto payments from its growing base of more than 1,000 advertisers.
Rising Trump family interest in crypto
The Trump family is deepening its exposure to the crypto sector.
Both Donald Trump Jr. and his brother Eric advise Dominari Securities, the firm that led Thumzup’s recent funding round and began investing in a Bitcoin ETF earlier this year.
Eric Trump has also joined the board of Metaplanet, a Japanese company that pivoted from hospitality into becoming a significant Bitcoin holder.
At the same time, Trump Media & Technology Group, owner of Truth Social, recently secured $2.3 billion in financing, much of which was reportedly earmarked for Bitcoin-related investment.
The family’s deepening ties to cryptocurrency mark a notable shift from prior positions. Once openly skeptical, former President Donald Trump has since stated he wants to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the world.”
For Trump and his allies, embracing crypto is not solely about financial opportunity; it is also a strategic effort to connect with the growing base of digital-asset supporters and to remain relevant in a rapidly evolving economic landscape.