Holders of $WLFI crypto tokens, the digital currency linked to Donald Trump’s family, have voted overwhelmingly to make the tokens tradable.
This decision now allows the tokens to be publicly bought and sold, which could significantly increase the Trump family’s earnings.
On July 9, 2025, World Liberty Financial (WLF), the Trump-affiliated crypto firm behind the $WLFI tokens, confirmed that 99.94% of roughly 20,900 token holders approved the proposal allowing their digital assets to be bought and sold openly on exchanges.
This move, long anticipated by early investors, means a removal of restrictive governance to open market dynamics.
$WLFI tokens were initially sold in late 2024 without tradability rights. Instead, buyers were offered voting power over operational decisions, such as changes to WLF’s platform.
The main attraction for investors was the Trump connection. Early holders saw potential profit not in the project itself, but in the anticipated price surge tied to Trump’s public association.
Now, that expectation inches closer to reality.
Although the exact value of the Trump family’s holdings is not known, public disclosures show the DT Marks DEFI LLC, Trump’s company, was originally allocated 22.5 billion out of 100 billion total tokens. As of December 2024, Trump personally held 15.75 billion tokens, according to his latest financial disclosure report.
World Liberty Financial itself has generated approximately $500 million for the Trump family since its inception, based on Reuters’ calculations derived from public documents, crypto transaction analyses, and the firm’s own terms.
However, the future could be far more profitable. As the tokens enter open markets, Trump’s holdings could zoom into billions, depending on market demand.
Paolo, an investor based in Milan, who holds 95,000 $WLFI tokens, summed up the sentiment of many early backers: “I voted in favour of making the tokens tradeable and plan to hold until they reach $12. Then I try to buy more when the price drops.”
But the controversy here included arguments that Trump’s deep entanglement in the crypto sector represents more than just a financial venture. Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Maxine Waters have called for immediate intervention by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), noting ethical red flags.
In their letter to the SEC, they stated, “The Trump family’s financial stake in World Liberty Financial represents an unprecedented conflict of interest with the potential to influence the Trump Administration’s oversight—or lack thereof—of the cryptocurrency industry.”
The SEC has yet to classify $WLFI tokens as securities. This regulatory grey area effectively shields the project from oversight. Meanwhile, the White House maintains that Trump’s assets are locked in a trust managed by his children, denying any conflict of interest.
However, details of that trust remain undisclosed. Critics note that the trust’s sole beneficiary is Trump himself, leading to concerns that the president could access proceeds from crypto ventures at any time, or upon leaving office.
Further complicating matters, World Liberty’s USD1 stablecoin, another product of Trump’s crypto empire, has reportedly been used in large-scale transactions involving Abu Dhabi investors, including a $2 billion investment in Binance.
Security experts now question whether these ventures could serve as channels for foreign influence or illicit payments, particularly given significant investments from entities in the UAE and Hong Kong.
Chris Swartz, former ethics attorney under both Trump administrations, warned: “The American public should be very concerned about the president’s vested interests in the cryptocurrency market. Not only is it a potential conduit for foreign emoluments and other illicit payments, but it puts the president in competition against other cryptocurrency issuers at the same time he is advocating for digital asset marketplace legislation. That is a clear conflict of interest.”
The World Liberty team, perhaps in response to recent cases, has reduced the Trump family’s stake from 75% to 40% over the past six months. The company says this move promotes decentralisation and compliance with emerging U.S. standards for digital asset platforms.
While early investors will now be free to trade their tokens, the substantial holdings of Trump and other founders stays locked under a delayed release schedule, designed, according to the company, to signal long-term commitment. Implementation of the trading approval will occur “within a reasonable time,” World Liberty noted.
Asked how trading will commence and when, a company spokesperson provided only a vague assurance: “Additional details are forthcoming.”
As for the White House, when pressed by Reuters about the financial implications for Trump’s holdings, its response was: “This is not an inquiry for the White House.”
