It appears that the Trumps have yet to find a corner of crypto they don’t like.
This week, the Trump Organization filed a slew of trademarks indicating the company is mulling expansion into a digital sector that’s struggled for years: the metaverse.
The dozens of proposed new protections for the signature “Trump” mark include “downloadable virtual reality game software featuring crypto tokens for use in online virtual worlds,” and several categories of NFT-backed virtual goods available for sale in a Trump-controlled online marketplace that might populate such an environment.
If the president and his family really are considering launching a metaverse platform in 2025 (or beyond), what might it be like?
According to this week’s filings, users might be able to traverse it as Trump-themed avatars donning Trump-branded virtual eyewear, footwear, handbags, and headwear—purchasable with crypto in the Trump NFT store, of course.
These virtual Trump beings will not have to linger idly in some netherzone. They may live in virtual houses replete with Trump-themed furniture and toys, where Trump-inspired NFT artwork hangs on walls—and a Trump-branded metaverse limousine, aircraft, or train is just feet away, ready to whisk residents off to a “virtual restaurant” where they may enjoy “simulated restaurant services provided in virtual environments for entertainment purposes.”
Of course, the Trump Organization (or its IP attorneys) haven’t failed to consider the value proposition of our physical realm, as well. If for some reason you ever thought you’d never see a Trump-emblazoned hygienic pad adapted for a virtual reality headset in your lifetime, well… think again.
Large corporations like the Trump Organization routinely file loads of trademark applications as a precaution to protect their brands and keep options open. But a Trump-themed metaverse would also be very consistent with the company’s recent crypto pivot.
Ever since Donald Trump embraced digital assets on the 2024 campaign trail—and then unwound regulation of the sector after his return to the White House—his companies and inner circle have dived headfirst into crypto.
Trump has now lent his brand to multiple sets of NFT trading cards, a decentralized finance platform, and a controversial meme coin. The president’s publicly traded social media conglomerate, Trump Media & Technology Group, also recently launched a crypto-focused arm seeking to offer digital assets-tied products on Wall Street.
Edited by Andrew Hayward