What is World Liberty Financial? A Beginner’s Guide to WLFI

By Shraddha

Last Updated: Jan 24, 2025

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World Liberty Financial (WLFI) made waves in the decentralized finance (DeFi) markets before the 2024 U.S. elections. This project looks at a decentralized crypto banking system where users can borrow and lend, akin to traditional financial institutions, but with crypto.

World Liberty Financial is backed and endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump and his family members—Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Barron Trump. WLFI tokens are non-transferable native governance tokens at the heart of Donald Trump’s WLFI crypto vision. The project says it wants to elevate the global status of the U.S. dollar within the DeFi space through the mass adoption of USD-pegged stablecoins. However, it has become a political project while claiming to be non-political. Let’s dive deeper into what is World Liberty Financial, its WLFI token, and Donald Trump’s WLFI crypto vision.

What is World Liberty Financial? Summary

World Liberty Financial (WLFI) is a DeFi platform associated with the Trump family and has been in the news after the return of Donald Trump as the U.S. president. The project aims to offer decentralized crypto lending and borrowing services. Focused on advancing the global use of USD-pegged stablecoins, WLFI positions itself as a step toward strengthening America’s financial influence in the crypto space.

The project uses non-transferable governance tokens that grant voting rights but lack financial utility. In this guide, we will look at how the Trump brand plays a central role in driving user interest, the potential scrutiny of the platform over transparency issues, risks of concentrated governance, and whether you should purchase the WLFI token.

Key Highlights

  • WLFI is a DeFi platform backed by the Trump family, offering decentralized crypto lending and borrowing.
  • World Liberty Financial uses non-transferable WLFI tokens solely for governance purposes.
  • WLFI aims to promote USD-pegged stablecoins and strengthen America’s financial leadership.
  • Trump’s role is symbolic, with the project leveraging his brand to attract users.
  • Built on Aave v3, WLFI has partnered with security firms like Chainlink for safety.
  • Critics cite risks like token non-transferability, insider control, and limited transparency.
  • WLFI raised $1 billion in token sales, with tokens priced at $0.05 as of January 2025.

World Liberty Financial Overview

World Liberty Financial (WLFI) was teased as a DeFi project in August 2024 before it opened a whitelist for accredited investors the following month. At the time, Trump Jr. criticized banks and financial institutions for being unfair and exclusionary. The goal of this platform, as he explains, is to eliminate the need for expensive and inefficient intermediaries while individuals take control of their own financial futures. Trump Jr. positioned the initiative as a modern solution to a broken system, promising equal opportunities for everyone.

The initial project announcement by Trump Jr. said, “We’re making finance great again by putting the power back in YOUR hands.”

World Liberty Financial wants U.S. dollar dominance through the mass adoption of USD-pegged stablecoins. The broader vision of the project is also to make crypto accessible at the back of America’s financial leadership. Meanwhile, it also dealt with rumors of being a hostile hard fork of Aave. But it turned out to be a platform that operates on Aave’s v3 protocol after the governance proposal was approved by the community. Interestingly, WLFI token is an ERC-20 token on Ethereum.

What is World Liberty Financial
Souce: World Liberty Financial Official Site

The WLFI token sale officially went live for the public on October 15th that year through the qualifying whitelist. According to the project website, Donald J. Trump serves as the Chief Crypto Advocate for World Liberty Financial, while Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Barron Trump each hold the role of Web3 Ambassador. However, according to the project’s ‘Gold Paper,’ nobody from the Trump family is officially managing the project platform or tokens as employees or owners.

Interestingly, just like the $TRUMP token, WLFI also notes that it has no connection to any political campaign. Another similarity is that both, $TRUMP and $WLFI, are riding on the Donald Trump brand. On a side note, if you are wondering what is the aim of $TRUMP meme, check out our Official Trump meme coin review.

Well, World Liberty Financial aims to use the Trump brand’s global recognition to make DeFi accessible and appealing to Web2 users, driving mass adoption of Web3. In 2025, $WLFI is gaining traction due to three reasons: Enthusiasm of Trump’s return to office, the DeFi project raising $1 billion and POTUS Donald Trump and family dominating the meme coin market.

History of World Liberty Financial

February 2025 is an interesting time for sales dependent on the Trump brand. From physical merchandise like watches and perfumes to digital assets such as meme coins and DeFi tokens, Donald Trump’s return to the presidency has reignited investor interest. To help you understand the project better, here is a brief history of World Liberty Financial (WLFI):
  • August 2024: WLFI is teased as a new decentralized finance (DeFi) initiative. Official Telegram channel was formerly launched as ‘The DeFiant Ones’ with Donald Trump Jr. outlining the project’s vision.
  • September 2024: WLFI announces partnerships with security firms like Zokyo, Peckshield, and BlockSecTeam to ensure the platform’s security. The project also opened its whitelist for token sales.
  • October 2024: A live X Spaces event previewed the public sale before Donald Trump officially launched the World Liberty Financial token sale.
  • November 2024: WLFI announced adoption of Chainlink’s oracle services to integrate secure on-chain data and enable cross-chain connectivity. Tron founder Justin Sun also invested $30 million in WLFI, becoming its largest investor.
  • January 2025: Donald Trump takes office as the 47th U.S. President, WLFI raised $1 billion through token sales and announced the release of an additional 5 billion tokens due to high demand.
  • At the time of writing: WLFI disclosed plans to purchase additional Tron’s TRX tokens. WLFI has already sold 20% of its token supply and new fund raising is in works.

Donald Trump’s Role in World Liberty Financial

WLFI has gotten Donald Trump’s endorsement. But, the extent of his involvement has not been very clear. However, the World Liberty Financials’ Gold Paper mentions the president several times. We detail that for you here:

  1. Unofficial Advocacy: The WLFI project refers to Donald Trump as the “Chief Crypto Advocate” and states that the project is inspired by the vision of president himself. But, the legal disclaimer clarifies that the position is for branding and does not mean that Donald Trump is an employee, director, or manager of World Liberty Financial (WLF). Same applies for his family.
  2. Brand Leverage: The paper states that the Trump brand plays a major role in WLFI’s mission to transition Web2 users to Web3. The aim is to use Trump’s global recognition to attract a broader audience while strengthening the position of USD as global reserve currency, increasing adoption of USD-pegged stablecoins, countering “centralized control of CBDCs,” among other goals.
  3. Token Allocation: DT Marks DEFI LLC, a Delware entity registered in 2016 and promoted by Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump, along with its affiliates have been allocated 22.5 billion WLFI tokens. They have a substantial stake in the project along with a revenue-sharing agreement.
    Donald Trump's Role in World Liberty Financial
  4. Revenue Sharing Agreement: DT Marks DEFI LLC has the right to receive 75% of net protocol revenues after deducting expenses and reserves. This revenue-sharing agreement highlights Trump’s financial interest.
    Trump's Role in WLFI Project
  5. Promotional Obligations: Under a services agreement, DT Marks DEFI LLC has committed to use reasonable efforts to request that Trump promote WLFI and its protocol when needed. The Trump brand is also licensed for marketing purposes under certain terms.
  6. Non-Operational Role: Despite his prominent association, Donald Trump is not the company or platform officer but promoter of a company that has a service agreement of five years with the platform.
  7. Non-Political Positioning: WLFI emphasizes that it is not affiliated with any political campaign as legally the tie-up is indirect to Donald Trump.
  8. Symbolic Leadership: Trump’s role has brought some credibility and attention to the platform. But $WLFI tokens and the WLFI platform has been created and sold solely by World Liberty Financial and its affiliates.

Features of World Liberty Financial

  • Aave V3 integration for decentralized crypto borrowing and lending.
  • Aims to democratize DeFi while supporting the global dominance of the U.S. Dollar.
  • The platform plans to provide information and access to third-party digital wallets, liquidity pools, and DeFi apps.
  • Aims to remove the need for CBDCs.
  • The idea is to simplify DeFi but the token access is limited to accredited investors.
  • $WLFI governance token is non-transferable and locked in the wallet, taking away all economic powers from the token.
  • Enables community voting on protocol upgrades and strategic decisions by giving its holder the right to cast one vote.
  • No single wallet or group of affiliated wallets can vote with more than 5% of the total token supply and votes divided into two categories: Protocol Upgrades and Signaling Votes.
  • The platform has partnered with top security firms to ensure platform safety.
  • Uses Donald Trump’s global recognition under revenue-sharing agreement to drive Web3 adoption.
  • Declares no affiliation with political campaigns despite Trump’s involvement in marketing.
  • Targets both the U.S. and non-U.S. users but supports USD-pegged stablecoins and the U.S. as the financial leader.
  • Smart Contract architecture is reportedly underway for security and modularity of future updates.

Pros and Cons of the WLFI Crypto

Pros

  • Trump Endorsement: High-profile marketing by President Donald Trump and family.
  • Governance Participation: WLFI token holders can vote on project’s direction and propose changes.

Cons

  • Centralized Non-Transferable Tokens: WLFI tokens cannot be traded or unlocked with 70% of holdings with insiders.
  • Limited Investor Eligibility: Only accredited U.S. investors and non-U.S. residents can participate in the token sale but the whitelist process is unclear.
  • Ethical Concerns: A sitting POTUS is reaping financial benefits of a token sale, raising legal questions and ethical concerns about conflicts of interest.
  • Technical Challenges: Issues like website failures during the first token sale kept the platform down at a stretch.
  • Dependent Performance: WLFI token performance is directly linked to Donald Trump’s marketing which makes it speculative.
  • Gold Paper Lacks Roadmap: $WLFI token’s launch timeline on exchanges is unclear and the documents lack crucial information.
  • Non-Equity: $WLFI is not equity and does not provide financial interest or ownership in World Liberty Financial (WLF) or its assets.

World Liberty Financial Tokenomics

WLFI is built on the Ethereum blockchain as an ERC-20 token to govern the World Liberty Financial (WLF) Protocol. It is non-transferable and locked in wallets with currently no liquidity on secondary markets.

The community can decide via governance proposals if some of existing procedures or distribution has to be altered. Token holders can vote on protocol decisions but the token sale is restricted to accredited investors in the U.S. and outside after completing KYC requirements.

World Liberty Financial Tokenomics
World Liberty Financial Tokenomics | Souce: World Liberty Financial

Utility and Governance: $WLFI tokens are solely used for governance, allowing holders to vote on decisions like protocol upgrades, marketing strategies, and governance structure changes. It is also a non-transferable non-equity token. Each $WLFI token grants one vote, but no single wallet or affiliated group can vote with more than 5% of the total token supply to ensure fair governance.

Token Details:

  • Network: Ethereum Mainnet
  • Token Type: ERC-20
  • Max Total Supply: 100 billion $WLFI tokens
  • Status: Non-transferable, locked in wallets until governance allows unlocking.

Token Distribution:

  • 35% Token Sale: Allocated for token sales to eligible participants to fund project development and governance expansion.
  • 32.5% Community Growth: Reserved for incentives to expand community participation and governance.
  • 30% Initial Supporters: Allocated to early supporters, founders, and service providers.
  • 2.5% Team and Advisors: Reserved for the core team and contributors who helped develop the WLF Protocol.
  • Treasury Allocation: Tokens held in the treasury are to incentivize community governance expansion and cover operational expenses. Tokens held in the treasury and allocated to the founding team are non-votable and also subject to the 5% voting cap. This cumulative figure is believed to be around 70%. The votable token supply will be less than the total supply due to treasury holdings and token restrictions, with the exact number subject to change after the token sale. A portion is reserved treasury for ongoing operational expenses, employee compensation, liquidity provision, and other necessary purposes for WLF Protocol operations.
World Liberty Financial Holdings
Crypto holdings of WLFI Platform as of 25 Jan 2025 | Source: SpotOnChain

What Community Thinks About WLFI Tokens?

Speculative traders are busy suggesting trade positions for WLFI over social media platforms like X. However, some criticism has also mounted for the project. AI/ML engineer named Sabby (@sabby_eth) expressed frustration over the tokens being non-tradable and non-transferable.

The X user accused the Trump family of orchestrating a scheme to profit billions. Meanwhile, investor Fred Krueger said that WLFI has grown over the past 90 days. Krueger underlined that the initial launch raised only $12 million in the first week despite reports of $200 million in commitments. “But that was before Trump won,” Krueger emphasized.

Krueger points out at Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory, Justin Sun’s $30 million investment at $0.015 per token and the token’s price rise to $0.05. With the total fundraising potentially exceeding $1 billion, Krueger noted that WLFI holds $350 million in assets, mainly in ETH and BTC, calling it a “massive play.”

To know more about how this token is being perceived by the community, check out the Reddit testimony attached below.

World Liberty Financial Community
Source: Reddit

Is WLFI a Buy?

At the time of writing, $WLFI tokens were priced at $0.05 each, with 22.72 billion tokens sold and 2.283 billion remaining, resulting in a total sale volume of 25 billion tokens. There are 8,166 token holders, and 39,436 token transfers have been recorded on Etherscan.

The token’s first round of presale was a dry one but Trump’s return to office as president has pumped the sentiments. We say that the token is speculative at best as its trajectory is volatile and largely dependent on one figure. Tron’s partnership and Justin Sun’s investment has been a positive but the future is uncertain. Lookonchain data reveals that Trump’s World Liberty recorded a loss of $4.8 million during its treasury management in January 2025.

Loss recorded by WLFI
Loss recorded by WLFI during Treasury Management | Source: Lookonchain

If you want to know how high the WLFI token could go in the next few months, check out our World Liberty Financial ($WLFI) Price Prediction 2025 – 2030.

In case you are considering to buy the WLFI tokens, here’s how to do it:

How to Buy WLFI Tokens?

Buying World Liberty Financial ($WLFI) tokens is a straightforward process that involves using the project’s official website during its token sale. To get started, you’ll need a crypto wallet, some crypto, and a few minutes to connect and complete your purchase.

  • Step 1 : Set Up a Crypto Wallet – Start by downloading a reliable crypto wallet like Best Wallet. Create an account by verifying your email and phone number, then set a password. If you have an existing wallet, just scan the QR code on the official website using WalletConnect. Since WLFI is an Ethereum-based platform, it recommends best Ethereum wallets.
  • Step 2: Buy USDT, ETH, or USDC – Use the wallet’s fiat-to-crypto feature to purchase crypto like USDT, ETH, or USDC.
    Select from the available payment method (e.g., credit/debit card, Google Pay, or Apple Pay) and complete the transaction.
  • Step 3: Connect to the World Liberty Financial Website – Go to the World Liberty Financial site and click ‘Connect Wallet.’ Use Wallet Connect in your crypto wallet to scan the QR code and link your wallet.
  • Step 4: Buy $WLFI – On the World Liberty Financial site, choose the crypto you bought earlier and enter the amount to swap for $WLFI. Review your order and click ‘Buy $WLFI’ to finalize the purchase.

For a detailed guide, visit our how to buy WLFI article.

Top Wallets for WLFI Tokens

Since WLFI is an ERC-20 token on the Ethereum blockchain, it is compatible with Ethereum-compatible wallets. However, because WLFI tokens are non-transferable and tied to governance on the World Liberty Financial platform, storage and use are limited to specific wallets for connecting to the platform. Below are some wallets that may support WLFI tokens:

  • Best Wallet: We recommend Best Wallet as the top choice as it supports over 60 blockchains and offers essential features such as integrated DEX trading, staking options, and fiat conversions. Available on iOS and Android, Best Wallet is user-friendly and ensures advanced security with biometric logins and encrypted keys.
    Best Wallets for WLFI Tokens
    Source: Best Wallet
  • Exodus: A simple and beginner-friendly multi-currency wallet with strong customer support, perfect for those new to storing $WLFI tokens as it allows addition of custom tokens.
  • Ledger Flex: A sleek, non-custodial hardware wallet with an E-link display for easy navigation and low power use, supporting over 5,500 coins, tokens, and NFTs.
  • Trezor Safe 5: A next-generation hardware wallet by Trezor, focused on enhancing crypto security and self-custody for users seeking reliable protection for their digital assets. It supports all ERC-20 tokens as part of its universe of thousands of coins.

Alternative Investment to WLFI Tokens

Investing in WLFI tokens doesn’t come without risks. At the moment, the token is not listed on best Bitcoin exchanges and the timeline of a listing is uncertain. This will make it harder for potential users to buy WLFI token compared to more accessible cryptocurrencies like DOGE or TRUMP meme coins.

Because of the issue of listing, there are concerns about liquidity. Not to forget that the token is non-transferable and reportedly does not allow reselling or withdrawals. According to a blog on Oxford Business Law,  lack of an exit strategy is a major risk.  In the larger scheme of things, decentralization in DeFi is challenged by the highly concentrated insider ownership of WLFI token.

Critics also highlight the project’s deviation from DeFi principles, prioritizing personal payouts over reinvestment into the ecosystem, potentially damaging trust in the broader DeFi market. The blog also raises transparency issues, including a lack of detailed operational plans and documentation. Moreover, there is no utility of the token, making it a less flexible investment option.

Risk Potential Impact Example
Non-Tradeable Tokens Locks investors into their positions, no liquidity or exit strategy.
Holders can’t sell WLFI if market conditions worsen or personal financial needs arise.
Limited Utility Reduces token appeal as it only grants governance rights, not economic benefits.
Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, WLFI cannot be used for transactions or held as a store of value.
Ownership Concentration Founders hold most decision-making power, reducing community influence.
Trump-linked entities control key votes, limiting decentralized governance.
Transparency Issues Raises doubts due to lack of a clear roadmap or detailed technical documentation.
Missing details in the “gold paper” create investor uncertainty about project direction.
Regulatory Concerns Increased scrutiny due to significant payouts to the Trump family.
Financial authorities could investigate whether WLFI complies with investor protection laws.
Fundraising Volatility Shows weak initial confidence from investors, potentially affecting future growth.
Initial sales raised only $12M against $200M commitments, casting doubt on long-term market interest.
Exploitation Risk Insiders benefit disproportionately, even if the project fails.
Founders receive revenue despite underperformance, leaving investors with losses.
Deviation from DeFi Values Damages trust in DeFi by prioritizing personal payouts over ecosystem growth.
Funds allocated to founders instead of reinvestment into platform development.

Therefore, we recommend that our readers have a look at our Best Meme Coins to Buy Now by Market Cap and 18 Best Crypto Presales to Invest in 2025 pages for more flexible investment options.

Conclusion: What is World Liberty Financial?

World Liberty Financial (WLFI) appears unique because it combines decentralized finance with the Trump brand. The goals are also well-explained in terms of boosting the global adoption of USD-pegged stablecoins while increasing web3 adoption and crypto use. What is not defined is how and when this will happen.

Therefore, despite its high-profile backing and innovative goals, WLFI comes with risks and concerns. Issues such as non-transferable tokens, transparency deficits, and insider-dominated governance dilute its alignment with DeFi’s core values. So in the long-term, the token might just be betting on speculation. Another reason is the reliance on the Trump family. There might be potential regulatory and ethical questions, positioning it as a high-risk venture.

Needless to say that the project has gained momentum amid Trump’s return as president. So the longest bet on the project cannot go beyond the next elections. The project needs to clarify a roadmap on viability, transparency, accountability, and user trust. We can only say that potential investors must approach WLFI cautiously.

See Also:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is World Liberty Financial?

What makes WLFI unique?

Is WLFI a meme coin or a utility token?

How can I buy WLFI tokens?

Where can I store WLFI?

Is World Liberty Financial a good investment?

What are the risks of investing in WLFI?

Can I buy WLFI directly with USD?

How can I sell my WLFI?

Can I buy WLFI directly with fiat currency?

References:

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Disclaimer
Crypto is a high-risk asset class. This article is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice. You could lose all of your capital.
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Shraddha
Shraddha
Editor

I was introduced to crypto because the television news studio I worked in was doing a segment on the sector.  The world was talking about Bitcoin but it wasn't quite the phenomenon it is today. The journalist in me rushed... Read More

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