WLFI Approved for Trading After 99% Community Vote

World Liberty Financial’s governance token, WLFI, has been officially approved for spot trading on major exchanges following a 99% favorable community vote. The vote, which began on July 9, underscores the significant interest in this politically backed crypto project. The project team described the outcome as "overwhelming" and confirmed that the full-scale launch would take place "soon."

Launched in 2024, WLFI is modeled after the leading DeFi lending platform Aave, offering crypto lending and borrowing services. Unlike other DeFi projects, WLFI is distinguished by its strong political connection, being backed by Donald J. Trump and supported by notable crypto figures. The project has garnered both financial and mainstream political attention, raising a substantial $715 million from investors including DWF Labs, Aqua, and Tron. Notably, Tron founder Justin Sun invested $52.5 million and remains a key supporter of both the token and Trump.

WLFI will have a total supply of 100 billion tokens. In the initial public token sale held in October 2024, 20 billion WLFI (20% of the supply) were sold at $0.015 per token, giving the token a fully diluted valuation (FDV) of $1.5 billion. Upon official listing, tokens sold to early investors like Sun will be unlocked, while the unlocking schedule for the remaining supply will be decided by a second community vote, as confirmed in the project’s statement. The remainder of the tokens will be subject to a second vote by the community to determine the unlock and release schedule.

In addition to governance, WLFI will be used throughout the project’s ecosystem, including the 1776.Meme memecoin launchpad and the recently launched USD1 stablecoin. The protocol operates as a decentralized finance lending and borrowing platform, issuing USD1, a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin designed for use within the ecosystem. The WLFI token serves as the protocol’s governance mechanism, giving holders voting rights on key decisions, including emissions policies, ecosystem incentives, and treasury management actions. The token unlock is part of a broader transition from closed network operations to open participation, aiming to increase community involvement in protocol governance and decision-making processes.

The approval for trading comes after World Liberty Financial raised approximately $590 million through two separate token presales. The first presale, held in October 2024, sold 20 billion tokens at $0.015 each, generating around $300 million. The second presale, launched in January 2025, sold five billion tokens at $0.05 each, adding $250 million to the protocol's coffers. The tokens have remained locked since the presales, preventing any trading or transfer activity until now. The approved proposal establishes a phased unlock system, ensuring that not all tokens will be released simultaneously. Only a portion of the tokens sold to early supporters will become tradable initially, with the remaining tokens requiring a second community vote to determine their unlock schedule. This approach aims to prevent market flooding and maintain community control over token distribution. Tokens held by founders, team members, and advisors will remain locked for extended periods, demonstrating the team's long-term commitment to the protocol's development and success.

The community's overwhelming support for the proposal signals strong backing for the protocol and its governance model. The phased unlock system and the requirement for a second community vote for the remaining tokens demonstrate the protocol's commitment to decentralized decision-making and community control. As the protocol transitions to open participation, the involvement of the community in governance and decision-making processes is expected to increase, further solidifying the protocol's decentralized nature. The combination of major financial backers, political influence, and DeFi utility positions WLFI as a unique project at the intersection of governance, crypto, and American politics.