World Liberty Financial’s governance token, WLFI, is gearing up for its first major release, and the excitement has already set markets buzzing.
According to data from Coinglass, trading activity around WLFI derivatives has skyrocketed—24-hour volumes climbed more than 530% to nearly $4 billion, while open interest jumped over 60% to $932 million. This surge came just hours before the scheduled token unlock at 8:00 a.m. ET on Sept. 1.
Early Investors Set for Big Gains
The initial token release will unlock 20% of holdings purchased in the earliest rounds, where WLFI was priced at just $0.015 to $0.05. These unlocked tokens represent about 5% of the overall supply. At today’s pre-market valuations, the earliest backers could be looking at returns of more than 20x on their investment.
Trading Restrictions and Launch Price
While WLFI officially begins trading on Sept. 1, early buyers will only be permitted to sell one-fifth of their allocation. High-profile backers such as Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump are excluded from this phase, with their tokens remaining locked.
Some platforms are already quoting WLFI at around $0.42, which would give the project a fully diluted valuation close to $40 billion. At this level, WLFI could land among the top 45 cryptocurrencies, and optimists argue it has the potential to break into the top 20, which may speed up listings on larger exchanges.
Political Weight Behind a Young Project
Although barely a year old, World Liberty Financial has drawn outsized attention because of its close ties to the Trump family. Former president Trump endorsed the project on social media before returning to office, while real estate developer Steven Witkoff is listed as a co-founder.
The Trump family has expanded aggressively into crypto over the past year, with ventures in stablecoins, Bitcoin mining, and digital asset funds. These moves come as Washington shifts toward a friendlier stance on digital assets. Since retaking the White House, Trump has signed a and appointed regulators seen as supportive of the industry.
