Key Takeaways
- The WLFI token is currently a non-tradable governance token.
- World Liberty Financial has announced plans to launch a mobile app.
- The USD1 stablecoin is undergoing its first of many monthly audits.
Donald Trump-linked DeFi firm World Liberty Financial (WLFI) is in the process of auditing its USD1 stablecoin and developing a new mobile app for users as it gears up to make the WLFI token transferable.
WLFI Moves Ahead
As per reports, co-founder Zak Folkman has publicly stated at the Permissionless conference that multiple firms are interested in holding the WLFI token as a treasury asset.
In addition, he’s hinted that the non-transferable governance token could soon become tradable. Additional hype has been provided by the WLFI team, who recently posted:
Folkman also noted that the platform’s flagship stablecoin, USD1, will complete and publish its first monthly audit in the coming days.
USD1 has quickly become the fifth-largest stablecoin with a market cap of $2.19 billion,
In addition, the platform appears to be going full steam ahead as Folkman noted the firm is preparing to launch a mobile app.
$550 Million Raised
According to a recent blog post from the team, WLFI has officially concluded its 25 billion token sale, raising $550 million from over 85,000 participants.
The sale, which launched in October 2024, initially aimed to raise $300 million by selling 20 billion WLFI tokens at $0.015 each.
After a slow start, demand surged, leading WLFI to extend the sale to 25 billion tokens. The additional 5 billion tokens were sold at a premium of $0.05 each, bringing in an extra $250 million.
WLFI co-founder Zach Witkoff framed the token sale as a starting point, stating:
“The token sales are just the beginning. We’re gearing up to launch a wave of disruptive technology that will redefine the boundaries of what’s possible with digital assets.”
Looking ahead, WLFI pointed to key partnerships with Aave, Ondo, Chainlink, Sui, and Ethena, which it says have accelerated the development of its platform, aimed at democratizing finance for millions.
WLFI also highlighted its “Macro Strategy,” a crypto reserve that includes Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Tron (TRX).
Currently valued at $76.9 million, this reserve will support the project’s growth initiatives, including funding other “innovative projects.”
Strategic Investments
In February, the project introduced its Macro Strategy, a strategic crypto reserve designed to serve as its financial backbone through diversified holdings.
The WLFI team emphasized its commitment to growth, calling for partnerships in traditional finance, PR, and branding.
According to the announcement, a comprehensive proposal detailing the initiative will soon be available on the governance forum, encouraging community feedback and participation.
As part of its expansion, WLFI has been actively acquiring crypto assets.
Data from Arkham Intelligence revealed a $1.9 million MOVE token purchase from the Trump-backed WLFI DeFi platform.
This follows a series of altcoin investments, with the project holding substantial amounts of Tron (TRX), ChainLink (LINK), Aave (AAVE), and Ethena (ENA).
WLFI’s larger allocations include over 63,000 ETH worth $205.16 million, 646.715 Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) valued at $67.56 million, 19,412 Lido Staked ETH (STETH) totaling $63.1 million, and $36.44 million in USD Coin (USDC).
The project also invested in Tron, adding 10.8 million TRX worth $2.62 million, bringing its total TRX holdings to approximately $9.01 million.
Tron founder Justin Sun remains one of WLFI’s biggest backers, having invested $75 million into the project through multiple purchases—including a $45 million buy-in on the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Underwhelming Launch
On the day of launch, World Liberty Financial shifted just 754.57 million tokens, raising roughly $11.33 million.
That left 19.44 billion of the allocated sale WLFI tokens to go at the time.
Roughly 344 million WLFI tokens were sold in the first hour, followed by a brief website outage. A WLFI advisor reportedly attributed this to excessive traffic, claiming the site received 72 million unique visits in that first hour.
Furthermore, the team claimed before the launch that over 100,000 accredited investors were whitelisted for the sale.
Skepticism
Very little was known about the project upon the rollout of the token sale.
At the time, it simply touted itself as a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform focused on stablecoin payments, borrowing and lending services, and liquidity pools.
What was known about the project is that it will leverage Aave V3 for additional token functionality and that the WLFI token will be untransferrable for its first year of trading.
WLFI is a governance token. Meaning that users can submit, review, and vote on future proposals. Presumably, this lockup period will serve as a formative time for WLFI to receive and act upon community proposals.
Eddie is a gaming and crypto writer at CCN. Covering the often weird and wonderful world of Web3 with an adoring, but skeptical eye.
Prior to CCN, Eddie has spent the past seven years working his way through the crypto, finance, and technology industry. He began with PR and journalism with Bitcoin PR Buzz and BitcoinNews.com, eventually working his way to become a copywriter with a dozen firms, including the likes of Polkadot before returning to journalism in 2023.
Having studied Radio production and journalism at University in the UK, Eddie spent a few years making podcasts and presenting on a local London radio station as he built up his writing chops.
A lifelong skateboarder, Eddie can often be found at the skatepark or touring the streets looking for something new to try. That, or kicking back playing JRPGs on his original PSP.
