The family of U.S. President Donald Trump manages approximately $5 billion in WLFI tokens following a significant unlock, drawing attention to potential conflicts of interest.
WLFI Token Unlock
World Liberty Financial announced the release of 24.6 billion WLFI tokens as part of a scheduled move to establish circulating supply, which briefly pushed the price to $0.40 before retreating to $0.21. Trump-linked DT Marks DEFI LLC and certain family members previously held 22.5 billion WLFI tokens, giving their stake an estimated valuation of about $5 billion at current prices.
Utility of Tokens in DeFi
The WLFI token will be used to manage lending, borrowing, and dollar-pegged stablecoin issuance on its DeFi platform. However, trading volumes remain modest, with less than $50 million recorded on centralized exchanges in the past 24 hours.
Political Context and Criticism
The WLFI token and associated ventures face criticism from lawmakers concerned that Trump’s financial interests may overlap with policy decisions. Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Brad Sherman have called for additional scrutiny of Trump family-linked digital asset projects, particularly given Trump’s 2025 executive order directing U.S. agencies to 'embrace digital asset innovation.'
The WLFI token unlock and the listing of American Bitcoin on the stock market raise significant questions about the interplay between politics and finance in the digital economy, especially given the Trump family's involvement in the crypto sector.
