According to a recent report, Donald Trump is furthering his digital asset debut with the launch of a new cryptocurrency-themed video game. Bill Zanker, former head of Trump’s inner circle J-Team, invented the game. It’s even supposed to be a lot like the super popular mobile game MONOPOLY GO! This move highlights the former president’s growing desire to meld gaming with cryptocurrency. He seems to be extending the idea of those earlier, limited stabs at memecoins and NFTs.

Zanker Spearheads New Gaming Project

Bill Zanker, founder of the wildly successful Learning Annex adult-education seminars, heads up the new gaming enterprise. He was the key architect behind the launch of Trump’s memecoin and NFT collections. The game is set to be released at the end of April. It takes its cues from MONOPOLY GO!, the mobile adaptation of Hasbro’s timeless tabletop game. Hasbro’s purchase of Parker Brothers, creators of the original Monopoly, in 1991 cemented their hold on the gaming industry. Most shocking of all may have been Zanker’s apparent outreach to Hasbro back in May 2024 to discuss possible licensing agreements for a Trump-branded Monopoly game.

Trump's Web3 Expansion

While his administration’s interest in Web3 technologies was clear, Trump’s enthusiasm for these technologies really showed through during his 2024 presidential campaign. DTTM Operations, a wholly owned Trump company, as you can imagine, has big metaverse dreams. Then in February, they filed for several different trademarks for a Trump-branded NFT marketplace. This departure raises the bigger question of a plan to weave the Trump brand through every facet of a digital asset ecosystem. The creation of a Monopoly-style game is a big leap in this direction, fusing gaming with cryptocurrency culture.

Market Challenges and Opportunities

As much as Trump would like to see a Web3 gaming revolution, the industry is in a difficult place. The latest figures show that daily active users of Web3 games dropped by 6% in Q1 2025. Additionally, investments in the sector saw a sharp decline, falling 71% q/q to $91 million in the same period. Whether Trump’s presence is enough to save the industry is an open question.