Google Gemini AI logo displayed on a smartphone screen against a blue circuit board background
REGULATION

Winklevoss Twins Donate $10.02M in Bitcoin to Trump PAC

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Gemini co-founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss contributed about $10.02 million in Bitcoin to MAGA Inc., a super PAC aligned with U.S. President Donald Trump, federal election records show.

The June 19 contributions came 23 days after the Commodity Futures Trading Commission joined Gemini Trust in asking a federal judge to undo parts of a 2025 enforcement settlement. The filings do not provide evidence that the donation influenced the regulator’s decision.

FEC Records Identify Twins as the $10.02M Donors 

Cameron Winklevoss contributed Bitcoin valued at $5,006,604.47. Tyler Winklevoss gave assets worth $5,011,860.44. MAGA Inc. reported the combined contribution in its July filing with the Federal Election Commission.

Separate rows naming Gemini match the same $10,018,464.91 total. Those entries record the PAC’s sale of the donated Bitcoin through the exchange, not a second corporate contribution from Gemini.

Gemini Entries Show Bitcoin Conversion, Not a Second Donation

Federal reporting rules require political committees to identify the exchange used when donated cryptocurrency is converted into cash. The buyer can remain unidentified and is not treated as a contributor.

That distinction makes the Winklevoss brothers the reported donors, while Gemini appears as the exchange used to convert the contributed Bitcoin.

CFTC and Gemini Seek to Remove Settlement Injunction Terms 

The CFTC sued Gemini in 2022 over statements made during the review of a proposed Bitcoin futures contract. Gemini settled the case in January 2025, paid a $5 million penalty and accepted restrictions including a permanent injunction.

On May 27, the regulator said a later review found the complaint should not have been filed under its current enforcement standards. It cited weaknesses in the evidence, concerns about a whistleblower’s credibility and improper use of Gemini Titan’s Designated Contract Market application during settlement talks.

Gemini’s $5M Penalty Would Not be Returned 

The agency and Gemini asked the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to vacate the consent order or remove its remaining forward-looking provisions.

The paid penalty would not be returned. That means the motion targets the future obligations and injunction terms rather than reopening the completed monetary payment.

Federal Records Show No Link Between Donation and Regulatory Relief 

The contribution adds to the Winklevoss brothers’ financial support for Trump and Republican-aligned crypto initiatives. Both previously donated Bitcoin to Trump’s 2024 campaign and backed political groups supporting the administration’s digital asset agenda.

The sequence may receive scrutiny as lawmakers consider giving the CFTC more authority over crypto markets. The records establish the dates and amounts, but they do not show coordination, political influence or an exchange of regulatory relief for campaign support.

The federal court had not issued a public decision on the joint motion when the PAC filing became available.

More For You

Explore More News