Trump Defends $1.2B Crypto Earnings, Ethics Questions Mount

Donald Trump defended his family's crypto income after a financial disclosure showed the ventures generated more than $1.2 billion in 2025. The president told CNBC the earnings raised no legal problem. The filing, made public this week, detailed over $2.2 billion in total income for the year. Crypto ventures formed the bulk of the windfall.

The filing listed $594 million from World Liberty Financial, a DeFi platform the Trump family launched. It also showed $636 million from sales of Trump-branded meme coins. Bitcoin holdings added over $50 million. Real estate and other investments were included, crypto dominated.

Critics seized on the figures, arguing the president profited from assets tied to his public role. Trump said he did not know details about the crypto activity. "There's nothing illegal, there's nothing wrong with it," he told CNBC. He added that trusts and outside firms manage his assets, with his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. overseeing the operations. Trump said he avoids investment talks with them.

Trump argued that his children still have business lives separate from his presidency. "I tell my kids: stay away from as much as you can," he said. He acknowledged that any family deal could draw claims of impropriety.