World Liberty Financial’s cryptocurrency tokens, backed by President Donald Trump and his family, launched on global exchanges Monday with a market valuation exceeding $30 billion (£23.6 billion), marking the first time retail investors can trade the controversial digital asset that has already generated approximately $500 million (£394 million) in revenue for the Trump family.
The $WLFI tokens began trading at $0.3115 on major cryptocurrency platforms including Binance, OKX, and Bybit at 13:00 UTC, representing a surge of more than 2,000 per cent from the initial presale price of $0.015. The launch transforms what was previously a non-transferable governance token into a freely tradeable asset across multiple blockchain networks.
“This marks a turning point from its non-transferable token phase to full tradability,” a Binance spokesperson confirmed. The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange applied its “seed tag” designation to WLFI, a label reserved for innovative but high-risk tokens requiring users to complete volatility acknowledgement quizzes before trading.
Early investors who purchased tokens during two presale rounds in 2024 and 2025 can now sell up to 20 per cent of their holdings through a “Lockbox” mechanism. The remaining 80 per cent will stay locked pending a future community governance vote, with tokens belonging to founders, team members, and advisers subject to even longer lock-up periods.
According to Reuters calculations based on company terms and publicly disclosed transactions, the Trump family has earned around $500 million from World Liberty Financial since its launch last year. President Trump’s personal stake of 15.75 billion tokens would be worth over $4.9 billion (£3.86 billion) at current prices, though these holdings remain locked and cannot be immediately sold.
Trading volume for WLFI derivatives surged more than 400 per cent to $3.13 billion (£2.47 billion) on Sunday ahead of the spot market launch, according to data from CoinGlass. Open interest climbed above $800 million (£630 million), indicating significant speculative activity around the token’s debut.
The considerable gap between original prices and current levels reflects both the usual speculation in the crypto sector and the media impact linked to a prominent political figure,” said cryptocurrency analyst Sarah Matthews from digital asset research firm Delphi Digital. WLFI already benefits from a ‘Trump premium’ which fuels market enthusiasm.
Multiple exchanges rushed to list the token, with South Korean platforms Upbit and Bithumb joining Western exchanges in offering trading pairs. Kraken, Gate.io, KuCoin, MEXC, Bitget, BingX, and HTX also announced support for WLFI trading, ensuring broad global coverage across centralised platforms.
The token launch coincides with World Liberty Financial’s expansion of its USD1 stablecoin to the Solana blockchain. The dollar-pegged cryptocurrency has reached a $2.4 billion (£1.89 billion) market capitalisation within 90 days, making it the sixth-largest stablecoin by circulation.
Blockchain tracking service Lookonchain identified early selling pressure around the launch, noting that three presale wallets moved a combined 160 million WLFI tokens worth approximately $51.2 million (£40.3 million) to Binance shortly after claiming their unlocked allocations.
World Liberty Financial operates as a decentralised finance platform utilising Aave V3 infrastructure for cryptocurrency lending and borrowing. The project’s stated mission is to “Make crypto and America great by driving the mass adoption of stablecoins and decentralised finance,” positioning USD-pegged stablecoins as the future settlement layer for global finance.
Justin Sun, founder of the Tron blockchain, invested $30 million (£23.6 million) during the presale period, while UAE-based Aqua1 Foundation contributed $100 million (£78.7 million) as the largest public investor. DWF Labs added $25 million (£19.7 million) and committed to supporting the token’s market liquidity.
The fully diluted valuation of over $30 billion places WLFI in the same league as established cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin, Sui, and Tron. Early investors who purchased tokens at $0.015 during the October 2024 presale would see paper returns of approximately 20 times their initial investment at current prices.
Compass Point analysts warned that the token’s structure could pose risks to retail investors. “If exchanges like Coinbase list WLFI at an excessive fully diluted valuation, this could be another catalyst that decimates retail traders,” they stated in a research note, drawing parallels to the Trump family’s meme coin launch in January.
The project has faced scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest, with President Trump disclosing $57.4 million (£45.2 million) in earnings from his World Liberty Financial stake in his 2025 public financial disclosure filed with the Office of Government Ethics. The Trump family’s stake has reportedly been reduced from an initial majority position to 40 per cent as of July 2025.
TRM Labs, a blockchain intelligence platform, has been contracted to monitor transactions once trading begins, addressing regulatory compliance concerns. The involvement of a sitting U.S. President in a cryptocurrency venture has raised unprecedented questions about ethics and market manipulation.
“We believe the man in these images could have information that may assist our enquiries,” said Eric Trump, who serves on the board of ALT5 Sigma, a related entity that received investment as part of World Liberty’s $1.5 billion (£1.18 billion) treasury strategy.
The token’s governance structure allows holders to vote on protocol parameters, emission policies, and treasury management decisions. Unlike traditional decentralised autonomous organisations, World Liberty Financial maintains centralised control despite the governance token mechanism.
Market data suggests WLFI’s launch represents one of the most closely watched cryptocurrency debuts of 2025. Pre-market perpetual futures on the Hyperliquid decentralised exchange initially priced the token at $0.43 before traders rushed to short positions, driving the implied valuation down from $44 billion to $24 billion within hours.
World Liberty Financial’s ambitions extend beyond token trading. The platform plans to launch a mobile application allowing users to deposit cryptocurrency via wallet or bank account transfers, with features for spending against liquidity positions. A lending and borrowing interface promises real-time risk monitoring through a “health factor” system.
As trading continues across global markets, the sustainability of WLFI’s valuation remains uncertain. The staged unlock mechanism may help prevent immediate selling pressure, but questions persist about long-term demand beyond speculative interest driven by the Trump family connection.
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