Trump Media Eyes Crypto ETF Market with Crypto.com Partnership

New Investment Products Aim to Blend Patriotism with Digital Innovation

Trump Media and Technology Group Corp. (Nasdaq: DJT) has signed a non-binding agreement with Crypto.com to launch a new suite of exchange-traded funds and products under the Truth.Fi brand. The move represents a major step into the digital asset space for the company, which already operates the Truth Social platform and streaming service Truth+. The collaboration, still pending definitive agreement and regulatory approval, marks an effort to create investment products centered around U.S. growth sectors and key digital assets.

According to the companies, the ETFs will include a curated selection of cryptocurrencies—such as Bitcoin and Cronos (CRO)—alongside securities from American industries with a focus on energy and innovation. The ETF lineup will be made available internationally through Crypto.com’s U.S. broker dealer Foris Capital US LLC, reaching markets in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Crypto.com is set to provide the back-end infrastructure, custody services, and cryptocurrency supply, positioning itself as the operational backbone of the offering.

Devin Nunes, CEO and chairman of TMTG, described the products as “America First investment options” designed to highlight companies rooted in innovation and economic strength. Nunes emphasized a vision of excluding what he called “woke nonsense and political posturing,” aiming instead to channel investor capital toward high-growth, principle-driven U.S. firms. Yorkville America is also involved in the project, although its specific role has not yet been fully detailed.

Kris Marszalek, CEO of Crypto.com, praised the partnership with TMTG and Yorkville, highlighting the forthcoming ETFs as a first-of-its-kind basket featuring CRO. With more than 140 million users globally, Marszalek noted that the ETFs will soon be accessible via the Crypto.com app, offering expanded reach and visibility for the products once they go live.

The ETFs are expected to launch alongside Truth.Fi Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs), with both investment vehicles set to be funded by TMTG’s own reserves. The company plans to dedicate up to $250 million for the strategy, with funds held in custody by Charles Schwab. The initiative forms a core pillar of Trump Media’s broader push into financial services and fintech, signaling ambitions well beyond social media and content.

News of the partnership and ETF plans drove Trump Media shares nearly 9% higher in after-hours trading on Monday. Meanwhile, CRO, the native token of Crypto.com, surged more than 30%, reflecting investor optimism around the project and the potential mainstream reach of the upcoming ETFs.

Notably, blockchain investigator ZachXBT has labeled Crypto.com’s CRO token a scam following the platform's controversial decision to reverse a previous burn of 70 billion tokens, which represented 70% of the total supply. This reversal, made against community wishes, has raised serious concerns about governance transparency within the Cronos blockchain.

Crypto.com previously conducted a significant token burn in February 2021, reducing its total supply from 100 billion to 30 billion in a bid to enhance decentralization and token value. Despite facing criticism for the recent decisions, Marszalek highlighted the platform's financial strength, reporting $1.5 billion in revenue for 2024 and over 140 million users, with a net reinvestment of $1 billion for growth initiatives.

This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.