Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, recently claimed that Ripple spent a significant amount to secure a private dinner with President Donald Trump ahead of his inauguration.
The conversation unfolded on X after Jillian Plomin, CEO of Cardano’s stablecoin USDM, joked about attending a Cardano Las Vegas event, asking if it was a “Cardano dress occasion.”
Specifically, she polled community members about attending the Hydra Doom tournament. Hoskinson humorously responded that he would even skip Trump’s inauguration so that he could attend the event instead.
When an X user suggested he might not have been invited, Hoskinson clarified that this was not the case. In fact, he said he would be sending a team of 10 to Trump’s inauguration.
Further explaining his disinterest in the event, he stated that he would make time for private dinners with the Trump administration when appropriate. Hoskinson emphasized that he was not in a hurry to engage in lobbying activities with policymakers.
In this context, he mentioned that Ripple executives secured their private meeting with Trump by pledging a significant sum. “Ripple paid $5 million for their dinner with Trump,” he said.
At the same time, the Cardano founder expressed that he wasn’t interested in the paparazzi but in making meaningful policy changes.
I'm sending 10 people. I'll have private dinners with leadership where and when appropriate. Ripple paid 5 million for their dinner with Trump.
I'm not looking for a photo. I'm looking for meaningful, bipartisan policy change.
— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) January 8, 2025
Clarification About Ripple’s $5M “Payment”
It is worth noting that the $5 million Hoskinson referred to likely pertains to the monetary contribution Ripple made to Trump’s inaugural committee in December 2024.
As reported earlier, Ripple pledged $5 million worth of XRP to support the inauguration celebrations of Donald Trump. The donation was to fund the three-day event, including dinners, parades, and galas, around Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025.
Interestingly, a few weeks after the pledge, specifically on the night of January 7, Ripple’s top executives—CEO Brad Garlinghouse and CLO Stuart Alderoty—had a dinner with Trump.
Ripple’s CEO posted a photo of the meeting on X, captioning it as a “strong start to 2025.”
Commenting on the development, Hoskinson shared his disinterest in such photo opportunities. He stressed the importance of influencing crypto regulations through policy rather than high-profile events.
“I’m not looking for a photo. I’m looking for meaningful, bipartisan policy change,” he said.
Overall, the dinner and Ripple’s significant financial contributions are part of a broader strategy to influence crypto policy under Trump’s administration. The crypto industry, in total, donated over $200 million to Trump’s campaign and inauguration.
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