TLDR
- World Liberty Financial (WLFI) launched September 1, 2025, entering CoinMarketCap’s top 25 at rank 24 with a $6.35 billion market cap
- Token opened around $0.31, spiked to $0.40, then crashed 55% to $0.26 due to heavy selling pressure from early investors
- Early presale buyers who purchased at $0.015 took massive profits, with one wallet moving 53 million WLFI tokens to Binance
- Trump family holds majority ownership with Donald Trump personally controlling two-thirds of all tokens, valued at over $17 billion
- Only 24% of total supply is currently unlocked, with 75% remaining locked and future unlocks expected to impact price
World Liberty Financial launched its WLFI token on September 1, 2025, creating one of the year’s most watched cryptocurrency debuts. The Trump-linked DeFi project immediately entered CoinMarketCap’s top 25 rankings at position 24.
The token opened with a market capitalization of $6.35 billion and a fully diluted valuation of $26.07 billion. Trading began between 12:00 and 13:00 UTC across major exchanges including Binance, OKX, Gate.io, KuCoin, and MEXC.
WLFI initially opened around $0.31 per token before spiking to a high of $0.40. However, the price rally was short-lived as intense selling pressure emerged almost immediately.
Within hours of launch, the token crashed to approximately $0.26, representing a 55% decline from its peak. By evening, WLFI had stabilized around $0.25, erasing most of the opening gains.
Early Investor Profit-Taking Drives Selloff
The price collapse stemmed largely from early presale investors cashing out their positions. These investors had purchased WLFI tokens at just $0.015 during the presale phase, giving them extraordinary returns at launch.
The token’s unlock event released 20% of presale allocations on launch day. Many early backers seized the opportunity to lock in profits from their low-cost purchases.
On-chain data revealed the scale of the selling pressure. One wallet alone transferred 53 million WLFI tokens to a Binance deposit address, a move typically indicating intent to sell.
Multiple other large holders also moved millions of tokens to various exchange addresses throughout the trading day. These whale movements contributed to the sustained downward pressure on price.
Trump Family Controls Majority Ownership
The Trump family maintains majority control over WLFI token supply. According to Wall Street Journal reports, Donald Trump personally holds two-thirds of all WLFI tokens.
At current market prices, Trump’s holdings are valued at more than $17 billion. However, approximately 75% of the total token supply remains locked, limiting immediate liquidity.
WLFI’s affiliate company Alt5 raised $750 million from outside investors to purchase tokens before launch. This transaction is expected to generate around $500 million in profits for the Trump family.
Trading Volume Surges Despite Price Decline
Despite the price drop, WLFI recorded a 44 million percent surge in trading volume within its first 24 hours. The intense trading activity reflects the high level of interest and speculation surrounding the token.
With 24.66 billion tokens currently in circulation, additional unlock events are scheduled that could further influence price action. Only 24% of the total supply is currently available for trading.
Binance and Bybit launched perpetual futures markets on August 23, providing additional trading options but also amplifying potential price swings. Kraken confirmed plans to add USD and EUR spot trading pairs.
The concentration of ownership in the hands of Trump family members and insiders creates ongoing risks for other investors. Future selling from these large holders could continue to pressure the token price as more supply becomes unlocked over time.
WLFI remains one of September’s most closely watched cryptocurrency launches, with trading volumes and price movements continuing to draw significant attention from the crypto community.
