WLFI's Token Unlock Could Unlock $31B Valuation, Defying DeFi Norms

World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a decentralized finance (DeFi) project associated with former U.S. President Donald Trump, has seen significant activity ahead of its major token unlock scheduled for Sept. 1 at noon UTC. The event will release 20% of presale tokens—roughly 5% of the total supply—to early investors. The tokens in question, held in the Lockbox contract, currently represent approximately $483 million in locked value, with 1.627 billion tokens secured at current contract prices [1].

In the 24 hours leading up to the unlock, derivatives trading volume for WLFI surged over 400%, reaching $3.13 billion. Open interest also climbed by more than 50% to $760 million, signaling heightened anticipation among traders [1]. The platform’s derivatives dominate across major exchanges, with WLFI open interest standing at $360 million—more than double that of its closest competitors [1]. Early investors who purchased tokens at $0.015 could see approximately 20x returns at current pre-market prices, which hover around $0.32 [1].

The pre-market activity suggests that WLFI could debut with a fully diluted valuation exceeding $31 billion, placing it in the same league as well-known blockchain projects such as SUI, Dogecoin, and TRON in terms of market capitalization [1]. The remaining 80% of presale tokens will be released through future community governance votes, allowing token holders to have direct input on the timing of further supply distribution [1].

World Liberty Financial has also hinted at upcoming developments related to its USD1 stablecoin project. The company plans to introduce loyalty programs tied to the flagship stablecoin, further expanding its offerings within the DeFi ecosystem [1]. Security audits of the Lockbox contract system have been completed by Cyfrin, a notable security firm, reinforcing the project's transparency. Live feature pages are also being provided to allow real-time tracking of the unlock process [1].

Notably, 22.5 billion WLFI tokens held by the Trump family through DT Marks DEFI LLC remain locked under the current schedule. At current prices, these tokens would represent a value of over $7 billion [1]. The Sept. 1 token unlock is a pivotal moment for World Liberty Financial, marking its transition from a presale-based model to active trading across multiple exchanges [1].

Source: [1] WLFI Derivatives Explode 400% Ahead of $483M Token Unlock (https://coinmarketcap.com/academy/article/wlfi-derivatives-explode-400percent-ahead-of-dollar483m-token-unlock)