TLDR
- WLFI perpetuals launch at $0.42, implying over $40B fully diluted valuation.
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20% of WLFI tokens from seed rounds unlock on Sept. 1 via Lockbox.
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Trump-linked entity holds 22.5B tokens, valued over $9B at current price.
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Lockbox access begins Aug. 25 for eligible early investors to activate holdings.
World Liberty Financial (WLFI), the DeFi project associated with U.S. President Donald Trump and his family, will begin its token unlock on September 1. The project announced that 20% of the tokens from early investment rounds priced at $0.015 and $0.05 will be made tradable through an onchain process called the Lockbox.
The total unlocked amount will represent approximately 5% of the 100 billion total WLFI supply. The remaining 80% of early investor tokens will remain locked pending a future governance vote. Tokens allocated to founders, team members, and advisors will also remain locked.
WLFI stated that the Lockbox activation will begin on August 25. Most early investors are expected to be eligible to access their holdings immediately, while a limited number may face restrictions based on compliance checks.
Perpetual Futures Trading Begins on Major Exchanges
WLFI’s debut on perpetual futures markets began Saturday across Binance, Bybit, and OKX. Trading opened around $0.40 and stabilized near $0.42.
At that price, the fully diluted valuation (FDV) of the WLFI token sits above $40 billion.
The WLFI token’s listing on derivatives markets comes before spot trading is enabled. The current price reflects significant interest, especially compared to the much lower private round prices from early backers. WLFI token holders voted in July to enable Ethereum-based token trading on decentralized and centralized platforms.
Trump Family Stake Valued in the Billions
DT Marks DEFI LLC, a holding company tied to the Trump family, holds 22.5 billion WLFI tokens. Based on current market prices, the stake is worth more than $9 billion. Donald Trump’s personal allocation of 15.75 billion WLFI, disclosed in a 2024 filing, would be valued at over $6 billion.
These valuations are contingent on spot markets reflecting the same price level as perpetual futures. Trump’s stake in the project has drawn criticism from political opponents, who argue it raises concerns about conflicts of interest.
Efforts to include restrictions in the GENIUS Act—stablecoin legislation signed into law in July—were unsuccessful. The bill did not adopt proposed guardrails aimed at preventing elected officials from holding or profiting from crypto-related projects.
Investor and Regulatory Interest Grows
WLFI continues to develop its broader ecosystem, including plans to promote its USD1 stablecoin and a user loyalty program. The team has also signaled an upcoming listing on Coinbase, pending compliance and regulatory approval.
The growing market interest in WLFI mirrors rising institutional involvement in DeFi protocols more broadly. While trading is currently limited to futures, token unlocks and new integrations may expand its presence in the market significantly in the coming weeks.
As WLFI prepares to move into the spot trading phase, investor attention will remain focused on price performance, governance votes for further unlocks, and its positioning within the stablecoin and DeFi sectors.
