Despite the fact that former president Donald Trump once labeled bitcoin “a scam” and “disaster waiting to happen,” the presidential contender has embraced crypto in recent months to boost his appeal among an influential swathe of the electorate and to increase his campaign finances for November’s election.

Crypto spending has already exceeded $121 million for this year’s election, and Trump is scheduled to speak at the annual Bitcoin Conference in Nashville, Tennessee to shore up that number further. During the event, Trump will offer private meetings to members of the crypto industry for more than $800,000 a person, making the event a major fundraising opportunity for the Republican presidential nominee.

“We are proud to host [Trump] and to share the solidarity of the global bitcoin community and our universal commitment to free speech and peaceful democracy,” organizers of the Bitcoin Conference 2024 said about Trump’s appearance.

Over 200,000 attendees are expected to flood Music City Center to see Trump and other conference speakers. Hawkers at the venue are marketing “Make Bitcoin Great Again” hats and other memorabilia commemorating Trump’s appearance.

However, since Trump’s high-profile assassination attempt in Pennsylvania earlier this month, security has tightened at the Bitcoin Conference. Organizers have banned large bags inside the main stage where Trump is speaking.

Outside the convention hall for the Bitcoin Conference 2024, a mobile billboard vehicle showcased images of Donald Trump and his vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance. The van’s digital display promoted a cryptocurrency called "MAGA VP," which is not officially associated with the Trump campaign, but offered a special reward for those who invested $50 in the token. Even bathrooms were adorned with ads for a meme coin supporting J.D. Vance.

Meanwhile, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, declined an invitation from organizers to attend the Bitcoin Conference this year. “What can [Harris] say to us when she's actively imprisoning developers, forcing our industry overseas, attacking PoW… it would have been a disaster for her. All eyes on Trump now,“ organizer David Bailey said on social media.

Despite once publishing statements decrying bitcoin, Trump has shifted his tune on the world's largest cryptocurrency. Earlier this year, Trump hosted bitcoin mining CEOs at Mar-a-Lago, and in May, Trump’s campaign even began accepting donations in bitcoin, ether, and Dogecoin.

During the conference, Trump is expected to outline his policy positions on bitcoin and energize a long-ignored crypto electorate. Long-time bitcoiners are looking for Trump to replace Gary Gensler, the current chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, with a more crypto-friendly regulator, as well as issue more industry-friendly policies that would promote domestic innovation in the crypto industry.

Trump’s vice presidential nominee, J.D. Vance, is also courting crypto industry dollars. The California-based crypto firm BitGo is hosting a fundraising event next week for him and Trump in Palo Alto, California. Recent financial disclosure forms reveal Vance holds up to a quarter million in crypto.