Tron founder Justin Sun says America is entering a new golden age for crypto — and he credits President Donald Trump for lighting the fuse.

In a dramatic reversal from the regulatory hostility of the previous administration, Sun found himself back in the U.S. this week, attending a high-profile dinner at Mar-a-Lago for top holders of the TRUMP memecoin. The exclusive gathering marked a symbolic turning point for Sun, who was previously serving as Grenada’s WTO ambassador while under regulatory fire from former President Biden’s SEC.

“It’s a whole new atmosphere now,” Sun told CoinDesk in an exclusive interview following the event, which drew both crypto enthusiasts and street protests. “President Trump’s backing of digital assets is one of the most positive developments this industry has seen in years.”

Sun dismissed criticisms that the TRUMP token is a veiled form of political bribery, calling detractors “short-sighted.” Instead, he argued, Trump’s alignment with crypto could position the U.S. as a global leader once again — particularly as talks of a Tron ETF gain momentum.

Sun’s financial ties to Trump-linked crypto ventures began shortly after last year’s election. He confirmed investing up to $75 million in World Liberty Financial tokens — a move that raised eyebrows but also underscored his bullish stance on the administration’s pro-crypto shift.

That shift became more apparent earlier this year when the SEC, under new leadership, paused a civil fraud case against Sun and dropped multiple crypto-related lawsuits, including a high-profile one against Binance. However, scrutiny hasn’t disappeared entirely — the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the Department of Justice has been investigating Sun since 2021.

Still, Sun sees the dinner as a clear signal that U.S. crypto policy is thawing.

“People were talking about fleeing the U.S. for Singapore or Hong Kong,” Sun said. “Now they’re rethinking that. Even Consensus is back to hosting events in America. That tells you everything.”

Trump’s involvement with a memecoin has invited widespread media backlash, with some critics attempting to tie the TRUMP token to fringe political ideologies. Sun, however, stood firm in his defense — not just of the coin, but of the broader meme economy.

“We’ve got free speech in this country. Let people say what they want,” he said. “But the truth is, memecoins matter.”

Sun isn’t alone in facing skepticism. At Consensus 2025, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy described meme coins as “gambling” and likened them to Ponzi schemes — though not necessarily in a critical way. Sun disagrees with the characterization, insisting that meme tokens like DOGE and SHIB have played a key role in crypto adoption.

“They bring people in, they build culture, and sometimes, they create real value,” Sun said. “This is what entrepreneurship looks like — some projects will go to zero, others will thrive. That’s just the nature of innovation.”

As the U.S. regulatory climate shifts and market optimism returns, Sun says the road is now open for Tron and other projects to lead the next wave of digital finance — with meme coins, for better or worse, along for the ride.