Livestreamers and memecoin traders drew attention Wednesday with a 12-foot golden Trump statue holding Bitcoin outside the U.S. Capitol. Organized by the Pump.fun community, the display blended stunt, statement, and marketing push for a new token launched on the memecoin platform.
The temporary statue was placed just off Union Square on the National Mall, facing the Capitol dome and only a mile from the White House. A website tied to the stunt described the piece as a tribute to Trump’s “unwavering commitment to advancing the future of finance through Bitcoin and decentralized technologies.”
The timing matched the Federal Reserve’s first rate cut of the year, which lowered its benchmark by a quarter-point. Rate cuts typically boost the appetite for riskier assets, such as cryptocurrency, by reducing borrowing costs. “It’s bullish for Bitcoin,” one organizer said on a livestream. “The Fed is cutting, Trump supports crypto, and that’s why we’re here.”
Organizer Hichem Zaghdoudi told ABC 7 News DC that the statue aimed to spark debate about the future of government currency and symbolize the intersection of politics and financial innovation. He told DC News Now: “This is a statement. Without the president, we could never have seen mass Bitcoin adoption or big institutions buying Bitcoin.”
The group called the piece a “thank you” to Trump for championing digital assets in his second presidential run. Trump has leaned into crypto on the campaign trail, securing industry donations while rolling back regulations that once constrained the sector. Critics argue his family’s digital token investments could create conflicts of interest as his administration shapes federal policy.
Still, analysts warn against overstating Trump’s role in Bitcoin’s rise. The cryptocurrency has been in a bull market since late 2023, when Biden-era regulators approved spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds. That milestone, experts say, drew institutional investors and fueled Bitcoin’s record rally above $110,000.
The installation looked formidable but was made of “extremely hard foam” for easy transport, organizers admitted on livestreams. Social media videos showed workers carving Trump’s head from foam before hauling the statue into place.
Not all spectators were impressed. Some online said the effort was a publicity stunt for Pump.fun’s token rather than a Trump tribute. Organizers acknowledged that the statue’s unveiling was timed to coincide with their memecoin launch.
This golden figure is at least the third Trump-related statue on the National Mall this year. In June, “Dictator Approved”—an eight-foot sculpture—showed a golden hand crushing the Statue of Liberty’s crown, rebuking Trump’s military parade days earlier. Later, another guerrilla piece—a gold television with a bald eagle—played footage of Trump dancing with Jeffrey Epstein, stirring outrage amid renewed attention on the Epstein Files.
By contrast, Wednesday’s installation openly celebrated Trump. While he was in the UK during the unveiling, organizers hoped he would eventually see it. “It shows that’s the future and this is our thank you,” Zaghdoudi said.
The statue was removed by evening, but its presence raised questions about politics, art, and finance. In a city where symbolism rivals policy, a gilded Trump with Bitcoin captured digital assets’ ascent to the center of America’s political conversation.
