Trump, a longtime fan of Monopoly, enters the blockchain gaming space with another move in the crypto race
TechFlow Selected TechFlow Selected
Trump, a longtime fan of Monopoly, enters the blockchain gaming space with another move in the crypto race
After previously establishing positions in sectors such as NFTs, DeFi, stablecoins, memecoins, and crypto mining firms, Trump has now extended his reach into blockchain gaming.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsAuthor: Zen, PANews
Donald Trump, the U.S. president known for his "businessman's mindset," has built a career spanning real estate, reality TV, vodka, mortgages, NFL, aviation, bottled water, steaks, and even board games. His business empire continues expanding into the cryptocurrency industry—after establishing stakes in NFTs, DeFi, stablecoins, memecoins, and crypto mining firms, Trump is now extending his reach into blockchain gaming.
According to Fortune magazine, citing two sources familiar with the matter, Trump is collaborating with business partner Bill Zanker to develop a real estate-themed crypto game under his brand, with gameplay similar to MONOPOLY GO!. For this self-proclaimed "longtime fan" who launched a Monopoly-style board game three decades ago, launching a digital version enhanced by blockchain and cryptocurrency may seem surprising yet inevitable—and it has certainly stirred waves in the long-dormant blockchain gaming sector.
Real Estate Tycoon Trump: A Longtime Fan of Monopoly
In May 1989, Donald Trump partnered with veteran board game company Milton Bradley to launch Trump: The Game, inspired by both Monopoly and Trump’s own career as a real estate magnate. Milton Bradley, then president of the company, said the game was based on high-stakes deals, transactions, and Trump’s bestselling 1987 book The Art of the Deal. Trump filmed television commercials for the game, using the slogan: “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose—it matters if you win!”
Prior to the official release, Trump announced he would donate an undisclosed portion of the game's proceeds to charities supporting cerebral palsy and AIDS research, as well as aid for the homeless. Priced at $25, Trump and Milton Bradley initially expected sales of 2 million units—but actual sales reached only 800,000, far below expectations.
There were several reasons for its poor performance. First, because the game bore Trump’s name directly, it was easily perceived as a money-making tool for the wealthy, and the public remained unaware of the charitable component. Second, misleading marketing led many to view it as a knockoff of Monopoly. Trump himself later attributed the failure primarily to overly complex design—the rulebook spanned more than 12 pages, lacking broad appeal. Even after later ads clarified: “Mr. Trump will donate his earnings from *Trump: The Game* to charity,” sales remained weak. Moreover, a 2016 report by The Huffington Post found that claims about prior donations of board game revenue could not be verified, and neither Trump nor related entities commented.
In 2004, following the success of Trump’s reality show The Apprentice, Parker Brothers re-released Trump: The Game. The new version incorporated Trump’s iconic catchphrase from the show: “You’re fired!” along with the tagline: “Making millions takes brains. Making billions takes Trump.” Yet despite Trump’s celebrity status, the revamped version received lukewarm responses.
It should be noted that Milton Bradley was acquired by toy and entertainment giant Hasbro in 1984 and merged in 1998 with Parker Brothers, another Hasbro subsidiary. The Milton Bradley brand was eventually phased out by 2009 in favor of the parent name, later consolidated under Hasbro Gaming. As such, the intellectual property rights to the Trump-licensed board game are believed to belong to Hasbro.
“I’ve always thought Monopoly was a great game—many people are interested in it,” Trump, a true Monopoly enthusiast, said in 2006 when he attempted to launch a prime-time reality TV show based on Monopoly. He planned to co-star with documentary producer RJ Cutler, with Hasbro as a partner. However, the project quietly died during development, never picked up by any network, and no official title or episode count was ever released.
More Than Three Decades Later: Returning to Monopoly via Crypto
Now, Trump is returning to the Monopoly table—this time on the blockchain.
According to Fortune, multiple sources revealed that Trump is working with close business associate Bill Zanker to develop a crypto-based real estate-themed game, expected to launch by the end of April this year. The game is an adaptation of MONOPOLY GO!, where players earn in-game currency by moving tokens across a virtual Monopoly board and constructing buildings in digital cities.
Sources say Zanker is the driving force behind the blockchain gaming project and had originally planned to launch it before the inauguration of the 47th U.S. president. Zanker is widely seen as Trump’s gateway into the cryptocurrency world—the former president’s NFT initiative was also pushed forward largely due to Zanker’s repeated suggestions.
Recalling early 2022, when Zanker first proposed launching NFTs, he noted that while Trump was intrigued by the idea of “digital art NFTs featuring the former president,” he resisted using the term “NFT,” preferring to call them “digital trading cards on computers.” By year’s end, Zanker reignited the effort, and Trump agreed enthusiastically: “A lot of friends told me I shouldn’t do it, but I like it—let’s go for it.”
Zanker also played a key role in Trump’s memecoin project TRUMP. According to the memecoin’s website, 80% of the total supply—remaining tokens after the TRUMP token ICO—is held by CIC Digital LLC and Fight Fight Fight LLC. Registration documents for “Fight Fight Fight LLC” list Zanker as the primary contact.
As for specific details about the crypto game, Kevin Mercuri, spokesperson for Zanker, only confirmed they are developing a “game.” Mercuri denied claims that the game would resemble Monopoly Go, calling such reports mere “rumors.” Previously, DTTM Operations, the entity managing Trump’s trademarks, filed applications to extend Trump’s name to various virtual goods and NFT-related services. However, Mercuri declined to confirm whether these trademark filings are directly linked to the current project or how blockchain features will integrate into gameplay.
Additionally, uncertainty remains over whether the upcoming blockchain game will be based on the more-than-30-year-old Trump: The Game.
Sources indicate that in May last year, Zanker approached Hasbro seeking to repurchase the IP rights to Trump: The Game. However, Hasbro informed Zanker that it no longer holds the copyright to the decades-old game. Nevertheless, according to Fortune, a spokesperson for Hasbro—the original developer of the Monopoly board game—stated the company has not licensed the Monopoly IP to any organization affiliated with Trump for cryptocurrency investments.
Join TechFlow official community to stay tuned
Telegram:https://t.me/TechFlowDaily
X (Twitter):https://x.com/TechFlowPost
X (Twitter) EN:https://x.com/BlockFlow_News
PANews
