Trump family-backed WLFI token debuts on exchanges up 14%

World Liberty Financial’s WLFI token, a decentralized finance (DeFi) project backed by the Trump family, began trading on several centralized exchanges today, starting with Binance.

The Binance exchange became the first major exchange to announce the listing for the spot pairs of WLFI/USDT and WLFI/USDC on Monday. The listing went live at 1 p.m. UTC, in line with the schedule of a public launch on September 1.

Last week, several well-known cryptocurrency exchanges, including Kraken, HTX, and KuCoin, announced WLFI’s scheduled listing for this Monday. Since then, others such as Upbit and Gate have also shared plans to support trading.

With a 14% increase in its price in the last 24 hours, the WLFI token is trading at $0.3182, securing a market capitalization of $9.1 billion and a fully diluted valuation (FDV) of $32 billion, and positioning itself as the 26th largest cryptocurrency in the world, according to data from CoinGecko.

Token Launch and Distribution

World Liberty Financial, launched in 2024, seeks to integrate traditional financial products with blockchain technology, operating primarily on Ethereum and using Aave V3 for lending and borrowing.

WLFI, its governance token, allows holders to vote on protocol parameters, incentive programs, and growth strategies. Initially non-transferable, holders approved its tradability in July after a private sale that took place among qualified investors in early 2025.

Out of a total supply of 100 billion tokens, 24.67 billion (24.67%) are circulating since launch.

According to a blog post from the project, the distribution includes: $10 billion for the World Liberty Financial ecosystem; $7 billion for the treasury of Alt5 Sigma Corporation; 2.8 billion for liquidity and marketing; and $4 billion unlocked on day one for buyers of initial rounds at $0.015 and $0.05, through the “Lockbox” process.

The rest of the supply, which includes $19.96 billion for the treasury, $33.51 billion for the team, $16 billion locked from the public sale, and $5.8 billion for strategic partners, is subject to release conditions.

Exchange debut and market speculation

Last week, Binance had already listed WLFI perpetual futures, with volume growing 400% on the Sunday before the debut, news outlet The Block noted. Perpetual prices, close to $0.30, suggest FDV in excess of $30 billion, comparable to cryptocurrencies such as Sui, Dogecoin, and Tron.

The debut has raised expectations among investors. According to Bloomberg, only 20% of early investors’ holdings (excluding founders like Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump) are initially transferable, a tactic that Messari analyst Dylan Bane describes as “standard for managing selling pressure and stabilizing prices.”

Trader Morten Christensen, who has already made a profit on a Trump memecoin, has also pointed out in this regard: “With a low circulating supply, it is easier to inflate the price, which makes it an explosive cocktail.”

Trump Family Involvement

World Liberty Financial has the public backing of President Donald Trump and his sons, who control 38% of WLF Holdco through DT Marks DEFI, as well as owning 22.5 billion WLFI tokens and receiving 75% of the proceeds from token sales. Founders’ tokens will remain locked until holders vote on an unlock schedule.

The project has also launched USD1, a dollar-backed stablecoin with a $2.6 billion capitalization, which operates on Ethereum, BNB Chain, Tron, and Solana. Well-known platforms such as Coinbase, Bullish, Gate.io, MEXC, HTX, and KuCoin have already listed or announced plans to integrate support for USD1, cementing their adoption.

Perspectives of small headlines and whales

With a trading volume of $290 million in the first 24 hours of its public landing, WLFI’s debut reflects the impact of the Trump family’s backing on the crypto market.

However, the high valuation and low circulating supply have raised concerns about speculation. Some investors plan to sell if the price hits $0.47, while big holders, known colloquially as whales, could wait for it to hit $1, according to a poll in a Discord group cited by Bloomberg.

The launch of WLFI tests the power of the Trump brand in the crypto space, as the project seeks to establish itself as a bridge between traditional and decentralized finance.