Introduction

World Liberty Financial (WLFI) is a decentralized finance (DeFi) cryptocurrency project launched in fall 2024 that has gained widespread attention primarily due to its connections to former US President Donald Trump's family. WLFI aims to bridge traditional finance and blockchain technology by offering users a governance token (WLFI) and its own dollar-pegged stablecoin (USD1).

The project promotes itself as a new way to use crypto assets in everyday life without banks and as an opportunity to participate in next-generation financial services. World Liberty Financial combines political influence, technology, and finance in a way not previously seen in the cryptocurrency world.

History and Background

World Liberty Financial emerged in 2024 during a period when cryptocurrency markets were in transition and traditional finance was seeking ways to leverage blockchains. Donald Trump's sons, Eric and Donald Trump Jr., together with several crypto entrepreneurs, conceived a DeFi platform that would offer ordinary investors more direct access to crypto-based services than through banks.

First Token Sale and Election Turning Point

In October 2024, World Liberty Financial opened its first public token sale: the goal was to raise up to $300 million by selling WLFI tokens at approximately $0.015 per token. The start was modest – in the first couple of weeks, sales amounted to only about $2.7 million.

The situation changed dramatically in November 2024 when US presidential election results became clear: Donald Trump won the election, bringing the project massive visibility and new momentum. Trump-friendly investors rushed into the WLFI token expecting that Trump's return to the White House would create favorable conditions for crypto projects.

Justin Sun's Investment and Growth

The first major external investment came right after the election when TRON blockchain founder Justin Sun announced a $30 million investment in WLFI tokens in November 2024. Sun's involvement brought the project credibility and much-needed liquidity, and he was named an advisor to World Liberty Financial. By early 2025, World Liberty Financial had raised hundreds of millions of dollars in capital.

Trump Family's Role

The Trump family plays a central role behind World Liberty Financial. Donald Trump himself initially served as the project's figurehead with the title "Chief Crypto Advocate." When Trump began his new presidential term in January 2025, his title was formally changed to "Co-Founder Emeritus" to avoid direct conflicts of interest with his office.

In practice, Trump's financial interests in the project remained significant: the family-owned holding company DT Marks DEFI LLC owns 60% of World Liberty Financial and is entitled to up to 75% of token sale revenues. During the project's founding phase, a total of 100 billion WLFI tokens were created, of which 22.5 billion tokens (22.5% of total supply) were allocated to the DT Marks company controlled by the Trump family.

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump are both official founding members of World Liberty Financial and have served as the project's public faces. They have been called "Web3 Ambassadors" in the company, reflecting their role in uniting the crypto community and Trump supporters behind the project.

Technology and Platform

WLFI Token: Governance Rights

The WLFI token is an ERC-20 standard token originally created on the Ethereum blockchain. WLFI functions as a governance token, meaning its owners can use voting rights on important platform decisions, such as protocol upgrades, new product launches, or changes to token economics.

Ethereum is the project's primary platform, but to increase interoperability, the WLFI token is also available on several other chains: the team has implemented cross-chain integrations to Solana, BNB Smart Chain, and TRON.

USD1 Stablecoin: Dollar-Pegged Currency

USD1 is World Liberty Financial's developed stablecoin, whose value is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar. USD1 is designed to maintain a stable value: its circulating supply is fully backed by low-risk real-world reserves such as US Treasury bills, cash dollars, and equivalent liquid assets.

Real assets are deposited with BitGo Trust Company custody, which increases the stablecoin's credibility and security. Technologically, USD1 is implemented on multiple blockchains – Ethereum, Solana, TRON, and BNB Smart Chain – to be easily usable in various applications.

Aave Protocol and DeFi Integrations

World Liberty Financial as a platform is largely built on top of existing DeFi protocols. The team utilized the well-known Aave protocol (version 3) as the foundation for their lending and savings service. This means users can deposit cryptocurrencies as collateral and take loans against them, very similar to the Aave platform. Since the platform is based on Aave's proven infrastructure, it has integrated Chainlink's oracle services for reliably bringing price data to the blockchain.

Use Cases and Features

DeFi Savings and Lending

Through the platform, users can deposit their crypto assets and earn interest, or alternatively take loans against crypto collateral. This decentralized lending service enables, for example, an investor to pledge their Bitcoin (WBTC) or Ether (ETH) and receive USD1 stablecoins or other assets as liquidity without having to sell their investments.

Governance Participation

WLFI token holders have voting rights in World Liberty Financial's governance. They can vote on proposals concerning, for example, protocol technical upgrades, new feature deployments, or changes to the reward system.

USD1 Stablecoin Payments

USD1 enables digital asset transfers without traditional volatility risk, functioning as a bridge between crypto and fiat currency. In 2025, USD1 has surprised markets by growing quite popular: the stablecoin's market cap rose to nearly $2-3 billion in a few months.

Risks and Considerations

• Political Risk: The project is closely tied to Trump's political career. Political developments, legal issues, or changes in administration could significantly impact the project.
• Conflict of Interest: With a sitting president having financial interests in the project, regulatory and ethical questions arise about the relationship between policy and personal gain.
• Centralization: The Trump family controls a significant portion of tokens and revenue, raising concerns about true decentralization.
• Regulatory Uncertainty: The project operates in a gray area given the political connections. Future regulatory action could impact operations.
• Token Utility: WLFI is primarily a governance token with limited utility beyond voting rights.
• Market Volatility: Token value is highly influenced by political news and sentiment rather than purely project fundamentals.

How to Buy Related Assets

For those interested in exploring the broader crypto ecosystem, including stablecoins and DeFi platforms similar to what WLFI builds upon, here are recommended exchanges:

Summary