Trump family’s crypto debut adds $5bn to fortune amid ethics row

The launch of WLFI, a digital token issued by World Liberty Financial, delivers a paper windfall but sparks fresh scrutiny over the president’s role in shaping U.S cryptocurrency regulation

Donald Trump’s family fortune has reportedly swelled by an estimated $5bn after the debut of a cryptocurrency tied to their business venture, World Liberty Financial, it emerged this morning.

The token, known by its ticker WLFI, began trading on major exchanges on Monday after investors voted in July to make it tradable. The family, along with a group of partners, had launched the project last year as part of a wider push into decentralised finance, including the issue of a stablecoin.

WLFI climbed above $0.30 in early trading before sliding to around $0.20 by the end of the day. Roughly $1bn worth of the tokens changed hands in the first hour alone, according to data from CoinMarketCap, giving the project an initial market capitalisation of almost $7bn. 

By that measure, WLFI ranked among the 30 largest cryptocurrencies in circulation, alongside established names such as Litecoin and Stellar.

Exchanges including Binance, OKX and Bybit moved quickly to list the token, broadening access to traders worldwide. Analysts said the immediate volatility was typical of new listings but noted the unusually high level of speculative activity, fuelled in large part by the Trump connection.

Donald Trump is listed on the company’s website as “co-founder emeritus”, while his sons Eric and Donald Jr hold formal roles within World Liberty. The family is thought to own about a quarter of all WLFI tokens. Under the project’s rules, those holdings are locked and cannot currently be sold, but their notional value accounts for the $5bn paper windfall reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Since World Liberty’s launch, the Trumps are estimated to have already generated around $500m in revenue, according to calculations by Reuters based on transaction records and the company’s terms. The project has also allowed early backers to realise profits. Investors who joined at launch have now been permitted to sell up to 20% of their holdings following last month’s vote.

The sharp fall in WLFI’s price following its debut has reportedly forced the company onto the defensive. World Liberty yesterday announced a plan to buy back and “burn” more than 40m tokens, effectively removing them from circulation in a bid to bolster the market price. Token burns are a common tactic in crypto markets to reduce supply and reassure investors after a sell-off.

The Trump family’s direct involvement in a high-profile cryptocurrency venture has drawn intense political scrutiny. Democratic lawmakers and government ethics specialists argue that the president’s business interests in digital assets present a clear conflict of interest at a time when his administration is reshaping the regulatory framework for the industry.

Critics have highlighted that, during his second term, Trump has promoted crypto-friendly policies, from lighter disclosure rules for exchanges to efforts at clarifying the status of stablecoins. They say those moves could benefit World Liberty and other ventures in which his family has a stake.

The White House has rejected those concerns, insisting that the president’s business assets remain in a trust managed by his children and therefore do not pose any conflict. Officials say Trump himself is barred from selling WLFI tokens, further distancing him from any immediate personal gain.

READ MORE: Read more about Donald Trump in our exclusive Cambodia to rename key highway after Donald Trump for brokering peace deal.

Main photo: David McBee/Pexels