In a surprising move that has raised eyebrows across financial and political circles, GD Culture Group—a small, publicly traded company with Chinese affiliations and connections to TikTok—has announced plans to invest up to $300 million in the Trump Coin (TRUMP) cryptocurrency. This decision comes as the firm faces potential delisting from the Nasdaq due to financial shortcomings.
GD Culture Group, which operates through its Chinese subsidiary Shanghai Xianzhui Technology, reported zero revenue last year and currently employs only eight people. Despite these challenges, the company has signed a purchase agreement with an investor based in the British Virgin Islands to support its ambitious crypto treasury initiative, aiming to acquire significant holdings in both Bitcoin and TRUMP Coin.
The Trump Coin, a memecoin launched just before President Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration, has experienced volatile trading. While it briefly soared to a $14 billion valuation, it has since fallen over 80%, currently trading around $0.22 per coin.
This substantial investment by a China-linked company into a cryptocurrency associated with the sitting U.S. president has sparked concerns over potential ethical conflicts and foreign influence. Former Rep. Charles Dent (R-PA), who chaired the House Ethics Committee, remarked, “These foreign entities and governments obviously want to curry favor with the president. This is completely out of bounds and raises all sorts of ethical, legal, and constitutional issues that must be addressed.”
The Trump Organization has stated that President Trump’s assets are held in a trust managed by his children, asserting no direct involvement in the cryptocurrency ventures. However, critics argue that the intertwining of political power and private enterprise, especially with foreign investments, necessitates greater transparency and regulatory oversight.
As GD Culture Group proceeds with its investment plans, the situation underscores the complex intersections of global finance, politics, and emerging digital assets.
