Donald Trump

World

Liberty

World Liberty Financial

President Donald Trump

Cryptocurrency took center stage at <a href="https://www.ufc.com/news/bonus-coverage-ufc-freedom-250" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">UFC Freedom 250</a>, where fighters collected performance bonuses paid in digital assets.&nbsp;
Held on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 14, the event delivered one of the most visible commercial showcases of two crypto heavyweights.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/trading/trump-backed-stablecoin-quietly-overtakes-paypal-amid-binance-boost" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">USD1</a> and <a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/business/trump-media-doubles-down-on-crypto-and-ai-expansion-in-q3-earnings" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">CRO</a> tokens funded the payouts. USD1 is a dollar-pegged stablecoin issued by World Liberty Financial, the <a href="https://1inch.com/portfolio" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">decentralized finance</a> (DeFi) venture backed by the Trump family.&nbsp;
CRO is the native token of <a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/business/cronos-wipes-out-6-billion-after-trump-news" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Cronos</a>, the blockchain linked to exchange operator Crypto.com, which sponsored the event alongside automaker Ram.&nbsp;
Each USD1 is designed to hold a value equal to one U.S. dollar, while CRO powers transactions across the Crypto.com ecosystem.
<a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/trump-linked-world-liberty-financial-new-strategic-token-reserve" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Related: Trump-linked World Liberty Financial announces new strategic token reserve</a>
<h2 id="a-card-built-on-knockouts">A card built on knockouts</h2>
For the first time, every bout on the card ended in a knockout, complicating the task of choosing bonus winners after a historic night.&nbsp;
In UFC, a "card" means the complete lineup of scheduled fights for a specific event. Based on fighters' popularity and the importance of the bouts or matches,&nbsp;it is divided into multiple sections.&nbsp;
Justin Gaethje captured the undisputed lightweight title after defeating the previously undefeated Ilia Topuria, until the challenger's corner stopped the fight before the fifth round.&nbsp;
Ciryl Gane claimed the interim heavyweight belt, methodically breaking down Alex Pereira before finishing him in the second round.
<figure>
 <figcaption>
 U.S. President Donald Trump and UFC President and CEO Dana White during the UFC Freedom 250 fight. 
 <a href="https://www.gettyimages.in/detail/news-photo/president-donald-trump-and-ufc-president-and-ceo-dana-white-news-photo/2281608220?adppopup=true" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</a>
 </figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 id="trending-on-thestreet-roundtable">Trending on TheStreet Roundtable:</h3>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/trading/bitcoin-xrp-surge-as-u-s-iran-near-peace-deal" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Bitcoin, XRP surge as U.S.-Iran near peace deal</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/anthony-scaramucci-unveils-bitcoin-target-for-july" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Anthony Scaramucci unveils Bitcoin target for July</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/rich-dad-poor-dad-author-makes-wild-gold-prediction" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">'Rich Dad Poor Dad' author reveals bullish gold target</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="how-crypto-bonuses-broke-down">How crypto bonuses broke down</h2>
Gaethje and Gane each earned a $425,000 package anchored by a $100,000 cash Performance of the Night award. On top of that, each received $125,000 in USD1 and $200,000 in CRO.
Their shared Fight of the Night honor added $400,000 for each athlete, including a $300,000 CRO portion. Every other winner took home the standard $25,000 finish bonus.
All told, the event routed $950,000 in crypto directly to fighters.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/press-releases/fight-id-and-ufc-expand-web3-collaboration-to-grow-global-fan-engagement" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Related: Fight.ID and UFC Expand Web3 Collaboration to Grow Global Fan Engagement</a>

UFC fighters collect crypto bonuses at White House event

Table of Contents

TheStreet Roundtable

Other articles published on Jun 15, 2026

Join our free newsletter for daily crypto updates!