On Sept. 17, 2025, visitors to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., reportedly noticed a new sight — a large golden statue of President Donald Trump holding a physical representation of the bitcoin cryptocurrency. The statue allegedly appeared the same day the Federal Reserve announced it would cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point.
News of the statue quickly spread on social media. One post compared the statue to a golden calf, the false idol found in the Bible's Book of Exodus. Snopes readers searched the site and sent emails asking about the statue.
The statue was real, and was documented by several reliable news organizations, including CNN.
However, according to reporting from Washington's ABC affiliate station WJLA, the statue was a temporary installation, and Trump's administration did not play a role in its creation.
Instead, it was funded by an independent group of cryptocurrency investors. Hichem Zaghdoudi, a representative of the group, told WJLA it was "designed to ignite conversation about the future of government-issued currency and is a symbol of the intersection between modern politics and financial innovation."
Trump has treated cryptocurrencies more favorably than past presidents, and even launched a cryptocurrency just three days before retaking office in January 2025, an act critics described as a conflict of interest. The administration has denied that allegation.