Justin Sun invests $30 million in DeFi project World Liberty Financial, becoming its largest shareholder and strengthening ties with Donald Trump.
Justin Sun, founder of the TRON blockchain, has invested $30 million in World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a decentralized finance (DeFi) project associated with President-elect Donald Trump.
The investment was made through a wallet linked to Sun’s HTX exchange (formerly Huobi) and comes as WLFI faced challenges with slow initial token sales.
This move makes TRON the largest stakeholder in World Liberty Financial, a platform designed to offer decentralized lending and borrowing services powered by its governance token, WLFI.
Justin Sun and TRON’s $30M Stake in World Liberty Financial
World Liberty Financial, launched in September 2024, initially aimed to raise $300 million through WLFI token sales.
However, it had only managed to sell $21 million worth of tokens before Sun’s significant investment.
Sun’s $30 million injection brought the total proceeds above the $30 million threshold required for DT Marks DEFI LLC, a Trump-affiliated entity, to start earning from the token sale.
According to WLFI’s “gold paper,” this entity is entitled to 75% of the protocol’s net revenues and 337.5 million WLFI tokens from the initial sale.
Zak Folkman, co-founder of WLFI, remarked, “We are glad with the progress being achieved by World Liberty Financial, and this large purchase of WLFI tokens is an indication that this project is doing well.”
Despite positive sentiment, recent controversy surrounding Sun’s involvement in Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC) led Coinbase to announce it would delist the coin by December 19, 2024.
Trump’s Crypto Connections and Sun’s Vision for Blockchain
President-elect Donald Trump has increasingly engaged with the cryptocurrency sector. According to blockchain analytics firm Arkham, Trump holds over $5.4 million in cryptocurrencies, with Ethereum (ETH) making up the largest share.
Justin Sun, a prominent figure in the crypto world, has also expressed support for Trump and the U.S. as a leader in blockchain. On X (formerly Twitter), Sun stated:
“We are thrilled to invest $30 million in World Liberty Financial as its largest investor. The U.S. is becoming the blockchain hub, and Bitcoin owes it to Donald Trump.”
This investment aligns with Sun’s broader goal of advancing blockchain technology globally, including his role as a leader in Liberland, a micronation that has adopted Bitcoin as legal tender.
Challenges Facing WLFI
WLFI’s token sale faced several barriers. Participation was restricted to non-U.S. investors and accredited U.S. investors, limiting the potential buyer pool.
Additionally, WLFI tokens are currently neither divisible nor transferable, which could deter some crypto investors.
However, WLFI’s adoption of Chainlink standards for on-chain data and cross-chain interoperability has enhanced the platform’s security and functionality.
Despite the hurdles, Sun’s involvement is expected to attract greater attention to the project. Zak Folkman hinted at further developments, stating there is more to come.
“There have been a number of similarly large purchases in recent weeks, and we expect this to continue in the coming months.”