Senator Cynthia Lummis and at least one other Republican in Congress are reportedly critical of US President Donald Trump for offering the top holders of his memecoin a dinner and White House tour.

According to a May 2 CNBC report, Lummis said the idea that the US president was offering exclusive access to himself and the White House for people willing to pay for it “gives [her] pause.” She wasn’t the only member of the Republican Party to be critical of Trump’s memecoin perks, announced on April 23, roughly three months after the then-president-elect launched the TRUMP token.  

“I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to charge people to come into the Capitol and take a tour,” said Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, according to NBC News.

Despite Lummis’ reported “pause” over the president’s actions, on May 2, she posted a video to X of herself speaking on the Senate floor, saying she was “particularly pleased” by Trump’s support of legislation to establish a strategic Bitcoin (BTC) reserve in the United States. The Boosting Innovation, Technology, and Competitiveness through Optimized Investment Nationwide, or BITCOIN, Act would seemingly codify Trump’s executive order to create a national crypto reserve.

Related: House Democrats want ethics probe on Trump over crypto projects

The launch of the TRUMP coin on Jan. 17 was met with outrage from many lawmakers and figures in the crypto industry, who pointed to potential conflicts of interest and implications of allowing foreign actors to channel funds directly to Trump. The criticism continued after Trump announced that a group of the top memecoin holders would have the opportunity to apply for a White House tour and dinner.

 “Trump once claimed he is so rich he cannot be bought,” said Craig Holman, a government ethics expert with the consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen. “But his obsession with money means he apparently can be bought for a meme.”

Calls for impeachment over ties to crypto

Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff, a Democrat, called for Trump’s impeachment during an April 25 town hall, claiming the memecoin dinner represented “selling access for what are effectively payments directly to him.” During his first term, Trump was impeached twice in the House of Representatives but acquitted after the Senate votes fell short of the two-thirds majority required for conviction.

At the time of publication, it was unclear who, if any, of the memecoin holders would attend the May 22 dinner with Trump. Usernames from the TRUMP leaderboard have led to speculation that staunch supporters like Tron founder Justin Sun and Tesla CEO Elon Musk could be among the attendees. As of May 2, neither the individuals nor the companies have made any formal announcements.

Magazine: Trump’s crypto ventures raise conflict of interest, insider trading questions

Merchants in Cannes, France, the site of the international Cannes Film Festival, are set to begin accepting crypto payments by summer this year in an effort to attract clientele with high disposable income by modernizing the city’s commercial payment ecosystem.

According to Artem Shaginyan, founder and head of strategy of Web3 payment company Lunu Pay, the Cannes municipal government is aiming for a 90% adoption rate among local merchants. The executive also told Cointelegraph:

“This is a big signal. When a city like Cannes, known globally for culture and commerce, starts integrating crypto at scale, it shows that Web3 payments aren’t just a niche thing anymore. It’s about proving that crypto can work in everyday settings, not just online or in theory.”

In February, Cannes Mayor David Lisnard announced a crypto payment integration training session for business owners and professionals to promote the widespread acceptance of crypto payments in the city.

The Rue d’Antibes, Canne’s shopping and commercial district. Source: City of Cannes

Canne’s shift toward embracing cryptocurrencies reflects the broader trend of crypto adoption by city, state, and federal governments as these institutions seek to remain competitive on the global stage.

Related: Panama’s capital to accept crypto for taxes, municipal fees

Ahead of the curve? Other jurisdictions modernize with crypto

In December 2023, the Swiss city of Lugano started accepting Bitcoin (BTC) and stablecoin payments for taxes and municipal fees as part of the city’s broader initiative to become a global crypto hub.

Governor Jared Polis of the US state of Colorado directed the state’s Department of Revenue to begin accepting crypto tax payments in September 2022.

The Canadian city of Vancouver passed a motion in December 2024 to make the jurisdiction a “Bitcoin-friendly city” by exploring integrating BTC into the city’s financial system and potentially adopting a Bitcoin treasury strategy.

More recently, in April 2025, the capital city of Panama announced that taxes and municipal fees could now be paid in crypto, including Bitcoin, Ether (ETH), Circle’s US-dollar stablecoin (USDC), and Tether’s USDt (USDT) token.

Panama City mayor Mayer Mizrachi suggested the move would modernize the city and bring increased investment as well as global recognition.

Magazine: Crypto City Guide to Seattle: Site of CZ’s downfall and pot crypto vendors

Ethereum’s relative dominance among layer-1 (L1) blockchain networks has declined, resulting in an “open race” to become the leading Web3 platform, according to Alex Svanevik, CEO of data service Nansen.

“If you’d asked me 3–4 years ago whether Ethereum would dominate crypto, I’d have said yes,” Svanevik said during a panel discussion at the LONGITUDE by Cointelegraph event. “But now, it’s clear that’s not what’s happening.”

Ethereum is still the most popular L1 network. According to data from DefiLlama, its roughly $52 billion in total value locked (TVL) represents 51% of cryptocurrency residing on blockchain networks.

However, Ethereum’s dominance has diminished sharply since 2021, when the L1 controlled as much as 96% of aggregate TVL, the data shows. 

Panelists at the LONGITUDE by Cointelegraph event in Dubai. Source: Cointelegraph

“It’s an open race between multiple L1s for becoming the go-to platform for trading and broader blockchain use,” Svanevik said.

“We’re seeing smaller chains grow extremely fast, and a group of five or six chains emerging as leaders. It’s an exciting time,” he said.

Cointelegraph’s LONGITUDE is an event series that brings together leaders and innovators from the blockchain and Web3 space for exclusive discussions.

TVL distribution among blockchain networks. Source: DeFiLlama

Rise of Solana

Solana (SOL), an alternative layer-1 known for faster transactions and lower fees than Ethereum, is in pole position to become Web3’s next leading chain, according to the Nansen CEO.

“Solana has overtaken Ethereum on most onchain metrics — active addresses, transaction volume, even gas fees,” Svanevik said. “Ethereum still leads in TVL, and stablecoin issuance is still strong, but Solana’s growth is undeniable.”

Meanwhile, dozens of smaller L1s are also vying for market share — and not all of them are gaining sustainable traction, Vardan Khachatryan, chief legal officer of trading platform Fastex, told Cointelegraph during the panel. 

“Unfortunately, what we see in reality is that chains become popular when they are the hype of that particular bull run, new coins, airdrops, etc., rather than sustained adoption,” Khachatryan said.

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