TL;DR
- Successful Fundraising: World Liberty Financial (WLFI), backed by Donald Trump, raised $550 million in its token sale, marking a major milestone in crypto fundraising.
- Token Sale Dynamics: Initial demand was low, but the launch of Trump-themed tokens (TRUMP and MELANIA) reignited interest, leading to high participation and additional token sales.
- Key Investor Impact: Tron founder Justin Sun invested $75 million, boosting WLFI’s credibility and attracting further investments despite challenges from traditional venture capital firms.
World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a DeFi project backed by President Donald Trump and his family, has completed its token sale, raising an impressive $550 million. This milestone marks one of the most significant fundraising efforts in the cryptocurrency space, highlighting the growing interest in Trump-affiliated crypto ventures.
The Token Sale
Launched in September 2024, WLFI seeks to strengthen the U.S. dollar’s position in global finance by using stablecoins and creating a DeFi lending platform akin to Aave. The public sale of WLFI’s governance token began on October 15, initially targeting a $300 million raise.
The project offered 20 billion tokens at $0.015 each, restricted to whitelisted investors. However, early demand fell short, generating only $11 million from the sale of 766 million tokens, prompting the team to revise its target down to $30 million.
The launch of Official Trump (TRUMP) and Melania Meme (MELANIA), two tokens themed around Trump, changed the momentum as they quickly gained popularity. Their success fueled renewed interest in WLFI, leading to stronger participation in its token sale.
By January 20, the initial sale had closed with 20% of the token supply sold. Seizing the opportunity, the project issued an additional 5 billion WLFI tokens at $0.05 each. Demand remained high, and by March 13, 99% of the newly released tokens had been sold.
Key Investors
Among the largest investors is Tron founder Justin Sun, who initially acquired $30 million worth of WLFI tokens in November before increasing his stake by an additional $45 million in January, bringing his total investment to $75 million.
The Sun’s participation gave the project a significant advantage, allowing it to attract investors even while dealing with obstacles from conventional venture capital firms. The completion of WLFI’s token sale marks a significant achievement for World Liberty Financial and its backers.
The project’s success highlights the potential for politically affiliated crypto ventures to attract substantial investment, even in a highly scrutinized market. As WLFI moves forward, its focus on promoting decentralized finance and US dollar-pegged stablecoins will be closely watched by the crypto community and investors alike.
