The governance token of World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a DeFi protocol associated with former U.S. President Donald Trump, will become tradable on exchanges following an overwhelming community vote concluding Wednesday. Token holders approved the measure with 99.94% support from approximately 20,900 votes, ending the asset's lock-up period since its $590 million presale in 2024.
Key details include a phased unlock plan: Some presale tokens will unlock immediately upon trading launch, while others await a second community vote for release scheduling. Tokens held by founders, team members, and advisors will remain locked longer than early investor allocations to demonstrate long-term commitment.
The Trump connection remains central to WLFI's appeal, with Trump holding 15.75 billion tokens personally as of end-2024, while his company DT Marks DEFI LLC was allocated 22.5 billion of the 100 billion total supply. The family has earned ~$500 million through the platform. Notably, Tron founder Justin Sun invested $30 million during the presale.
Regulatory scrutiny persists, as Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Maxine Waters warned the SEC about "unprecedented conflict of interest" concerns, citing potential influence on crypto regulations. While the SEC hasn't classified WLFI as a security, the White House maintains Trump's assets are held in a trust managed by his children, though details remain undisclosed. World Liberty Financial confirmed trading mechanics will be announced shortly.