World

Liberty

President Trump

World Liberty Financial

<p>World Liberty Financial (WLF), a crypto startup that lists President Trump as “co-founder emeritus,” has launched a new lending and borrowing platform called <strong><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-12/trump-linked-world-liberty-opens-3-4-billion-token-for-loan-bet" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">World Liberty Markets</a></strong>.</p>
<p>The service went live on Monday, January 12, 2026, marking the company’s latest move to expand the real-world utility of its rapidly growing USD1 stablecoin.</p>
<p>The new platform allows users to lend and borrow digital assets directly with one another, positioning World Liberty Markets as a peer-to-peer hub rather than a traditional centralized lender. At launch, the focus is squarely on building activity around USD1 while gradually expanding supported assets.</p>
<h3 id="supported-assets-and-future-plans">Supported Assets and Future Plans</h3>
<p>At launch, World Liberty Markets supports a limited but strategic set of assets. These include WLF’s own USD1 stablecoin and WLFI governance token, alongside major crypto assets such as Ether (ETH), Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), USDC, and USDT.</p>
<p>According to World Liberty co-founder Zak Folkman, the platform may add new forms of collateral over time. Among the possibilities discussed are tokenized real-world assets, including potential tokenized real estate linked to the Trump family business. While no timeline has been provided, the comments signal broader ambitions beyond standard crypto collateral.</p>
<h3 id="usd1-stablecoin-growth-drives-the-strategy">USD1 Stablecoin Growth Drives the Strategy</h3>
<p>The launch comes as USD1 has quickly grown into a $3.4 billion stablecoin, an unusually fast rise by market standards. Much of that expansion was driven by a large external investor who used significant amounts of USD1 to acquire a stake in Binance, sharply increasing the token’s circulation.</p>
<p>World Liberty Markets is designed to keep USD1 active within the ecosystem, encouraging lending, borrowing, and liquidity rather than passive holding. The goal is to anchor USD1 as a functional settlement and financing asset rather than just another dollar-pegged token.</p>
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<h3 id="regulatory-push-remains-central">Regulatory Push Remains Central</h3>
<p>Alongside product expansion, World Liberty is also pursuing a regulatory path. Its proposed entity, World Liberty Trust Company, has applied for a national trust bank charter from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).</p>
<p>If approved, the charter would bring issuance, custody, and conversion of USD1 under a single regulated framework. That move would place World Liberty among a small group of crypto firms attempting to integrate stablecoin operations directly into the U.S. banking system.</p>
<h3 id="bigger-picture">Bigger Picture</h3>
<p>The launch of World Liberty Markets highlights a dual strategy: rapid ecosystem expansion paired with a push for regulatory legitimacy. With USD1 already reaching multi-billion-dollar scale, the platform’s success will likely depend on whether it can generate sustained on-chain activity while navigating growing political and regulatory scrutiny.</p>
<p>For now, World Liberty Financial is signaling that USD1 is meant to be used, not just held, and that its ambitions extend well beyond a standalone stablecoin.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.ethnews.com/trump-linked-world-liberty-launches-new-crypto-lending-platform/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Trump-Linked World Liberty Launches New Crypto Lending Platform</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ethnews.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">ETHNews</a>.</p>

Trump-Linked World Liberty Launches New Crypto Lending Platform

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