World Liberty Financial ( $WLFI ) is a controversial initiative in the cryptocurrency universe, attracting attention due to its direct association with the Trump family and its ambition to revolutionize decentralized finance (DeFi). This article explores in depth what $WLF is, its relationship with Donald #Trump, the investments made in its portfolio, as well as the precise details of the acquired cryptocurrencies, amounts invested, and percentages of its portfolio.
1. What is World Liberty Financial?
World Liberty Financial is a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform launched in September 2024, aiming to provide financial services without traditional intermediaries, like banks. According to its official site, WLF positions itself as an alternative to conventional financial systems, allowing users to borrow, lend, and invest in cryptocurrencies through a blockchain infrastructure. Its slogan, "Make Crypto and America Great," reflects an ambition to democratize access to finance and reinforce the United States' position in the global cryptocurrency ecosystem.
Key features:
DeFi platform: #WLF uses #DeFi protocols, including Aave V3, to facilitate cryptocurrency lending and borrowing. Users can deposit digital assets to earn interest or borrow against their holdings.
Stablecoin USD1: In March 2025, WLF launched USD1, a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, backed by short-term U.S. Treasury bonds, dollar deposits, and cash equivalents. This stablecoin aims to provide stability for cross-border transactions and strengthen the dollar's dominance in the DeFi sector.
Token #WLFI: The native token of WLF, called $WLFI, is a governance token, allowing holders to vote on decisions related to platform development, such as code changes or marketing strategies. However, this token does not offer any economic rights (dividends or share of revenues) and is currently non-transferable, limiting its liquidity.
Strategic goal: WLF seeks to establish a 'strategic reserve' of digital assets, an initiative that aligns with the pro-cryptocurrency policies of the Trump administration, including the proposal for a national reserve of Bitcoin.
Business model and fundraising:
Since its launch, WLF has raised approximately $550 million through two sales of $WLFI tokens:
First sale (October 2024): $300 million.
Second sale (March 2025): An additional $250 million, with over 85,000 verified participants through KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures.
WLF's business model is controversial, as 75% of net revenues (after operating expenses) are attributed to an entity linked to Donald Trump, DT Marks DEFI LLC, while the remaining 25% goes to Axiom Management Group (AMG), a company owned by co-founders Chase Herro and Zachary Folkman. This sharing has drawn criticism for its lack of transparency and potential conflicts of interest.
Current status:
As of April 2025, WLF has not yet launched a fully operational public platform. Audits conducted by CertiK in March 2025 indicate that WLF's smart contract code is still under development, with several features unimplemented or non-operational. This has fueled criticism that WLF could be more speculative than functional at this stage.
2. Relationship with Donald Trump
World Liberty Financial is intrinsically linked to Donald Trump and his family, making it a unique project in the American political and financial landscape. Here are the main aspects of this relationship:
Direct involvement of the Trump family:
Donald Trump: Former President of the United States (2017-2021) and incumbent president since January 2025, Trump is the main promoter of WLF. He announced the project during a livestream from Mar-a-Lago in September 2024, touting cryptocurrencies as 'the future of finance'. Although he is not officially employed or a board member of WLF, he holds, through DT Marks DEFI LLC, a significant share of revenues and approximately 22.5 billion $WLFI tokens.
Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump: Trump's two eldest sons are 'Web3 ambassadors' for WLF, playing an active role in promoting the project on social media and at events like the Ondo Summit in February 2025. They position WLF as a response to the difficulties in accessing bank financing faced by the Trump family after their father's first presidency.
Barron Trump: Trump's youngest son, aged 18, is designated as the 'chief DeFi visionary' in an internal document, although his role appears largely symbolic.
Melania Trump: The First Lady launched an associated memecoin, although her direct involvement in WLF remains limited.
Political context:
Trump, once skeptical of cryptocurrencies (he called them a 'scam' in 2019), has radically changed his position during his 2024 presidential campaign. He has self-proclaimed as 'crypto president', promising to make the United States the 'global capital of cryptocurrencies'. His actions include:
The creation of a strategic reserve of Bitcoin by decree in March 2025.
The appointment of pro-cryptocurrency figures, such as Paul Atkins at the head of the SEC, and David Sacks as 'czar' of AI and cryptocurrencies.
The dissolution of a unit of the Department of Justice investigating cryptocurrency-related fraud in April 2025.
These decisions have raised concerns about conflicts of interest, as Trump’s policies could directly benefit WLF and its personal investments. For instance, the SEC suspended an investigation into Justin Sun, a major investor in WLF, shortly after his involvement in the project.
Criticism and ethical concerns:
Conflicts of interest: Organizations like Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and Americans for Financial Reform have warned that Trump's involvement in WLF, combined with his influence on crypto regulation, represents an unprecedented conflict of interest. Critics point out that Trump could use his presidential power to favor WLF at the expense of investors and the economy.
Lack of transparency: Although the Trump Organization announced in January 2025 that Trump's assets would be placed in a trust managed by his children, this measure does not prevent Trump from promoting WLF or benefiting from its revenues.
Political speculation: Some analysts, like Jacob Silverman, suggest that WLF could be a strategy for Trump to capitalize on the support of the crypto industry, which heavily funded his 2024 campaign (notably through donations from figures like the founders of Gemini and Kraken).
3. How has World Liberty Financial invested in its portfolio?
WLF has adopted an aggressive investment strategy, accumulating a diversified portfolio of cryptocurrencies to create a 'strategic reserve'. These investments aim to support WLF's mission to strengthen the dominance of the U.S. dollar through stablecoins and position the project as an institutional player in the DeFi sector. Here is an overview of the assets held:
Major cryptocurrencies: WLF has invested in established assets such as Ethereum (ETH), Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC), Chainlink (LINK), Aave (AAVE), and TRX (Tron). These choices reflect a desire to rely on robust DeFi protocols and highly liquid assets.
Stablecoins and tokenized assets: With the launch of USD1, WLF has committed to the stablecoin sector, competing with players like Tether (USDT) and Circle (USDC). Additionally, WLF has invested in tokens linked to real assets, such as those issued by Ondo Finance, which tokenizes U.S. Treasury bonds.
Memecoins and speculative investments: WLF has also made minor investments in memecoins, such as Bary (BARY) and Froge (FROGE), although these positions are marginal compared to the main assets.
Significant transfers: In March 2025, WLF transferred over $307 million in assets to Coinbase Prime, sparking speculation about a potential liquidation. WLF clarified that these movements were part of its ongoing treasury management.
According to reports from Bloomberg and Arkham Intelligence, WLF's portfolio was valued at approximately $410 million in February 2025, although latent losses of $110 million were reported in March 2025, primarily due to the drop in the price of ETH.
4. Cryptocurrencies held, amounts invested, and percentages:
Here is a detailed list of the cryptocurrencies held by WLF, based on data available until April 2025, with amounts invested and approximate percentages of the portfolio:
Cryptocurrency / Amount invested (USD) / Quantity acquired / Percentage of portfolio / Source
- Ethereum ($ETH ) / 235 million (USD) / 70,000 ETH / 65%
- Wrapped Bitcoin ($WBTC ) / 20.5 million (USD) / 191 wBTC / 5%
- Chainlink ($LINK ) / 1 million (USD) / 41,335 LINK / 0.24%
- Aave ( $AAVE ) / 1 million (USD) / 4,000 AAVE / 0.24%
- TRX ( $Tron ) / 7.43 million (USD) / 30 million TRX / 1.8%
- Ondo ( $ONDO ) / 470,000 (USD) / 342,000 ONDO / 0.11%
- Ethena ( $ENA ) / 500,000 (USD) / Not specified / 0.12%
- Memecoins ( $BARY, $FROGE, $UNI ) / 794 (USD) / Not specified / <0.01%
Notes on investments:
Ethereum (ETH): WLF's largest position, representing 65% of the portfolio, was accumulated through massive purchases, including 38,600 ETH for $131 million in January 2025. However, the drop in the price of ETH contributed to a significant latent loss.
Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC): A strategic position to diversify the portfolio and support the proposal for a national reserve of Bitcoin.
TRX (Tron): The investment in TRX coincides with the involvement of Justin Sun, who invested $75 million in WLF and became an advisor to the project.
Ondo and Ethena: These investments reflect WLF's interest in tokenized assets and innovative DeFi protocols.
Memecoins: Although minor, these purchases show a willingness to diversify, even into speculative assets.
Recent results:
In March 2025, WLF's portfolio, initially acquired for $336 million, was valued at $226 million, representing a latent loss of $110 million, primarily due to the volatility of ETH.
WLF's investments have sometimes influenced the prices of acquired assets. For example, the purchase of 3,357 AAVE in December 2024 led to a 33% increase in the price of AAVE within 24 hours.
Conclusion
World Liberty Financial is an ambitious yet controversial project, blending DeFi innovation, politics, and the personal interests of the Trump family. Although it has raised impressive funds and accumulated a diversified crypto portfolio, its lack of an operational platform, opaque governance practices, and ethical concerns related to Trump's involvement raise questions about its long-term viability. Investors should exercise caution, as WLF's promises rely as much on speculation as on technical fundamentals.
For more information, visit the official WLF website (https://www.worldlibertyfinancial.com) or follow updates on platforms like X, while conducting your own research before any investment.
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