Donald Trump Crypto Website Crashes After Coin Goes on Sale

Former President Donald Trump’s new crypto coin launched this morning at around 8 a.m. ET, and within the first 20 minutes, more than 220 million tokens were sold to over 1,700 unique wallets.
However, upon making the WLFI (World Liberty Financial) crypto coin available, the launch website suffered several outages. Despite this, around 2,900 investors purchased 344 million tokens within the first hour.
WLFI is a platform governance token, which means investors can borrow and lend and earn interest. The goal was to hit $300 million, with 100,000 accredited U.S. investors already whitelisted ahead of the Tuesday launch for the decentralized finance platform.
“World Liberty Financial is a high-stakes play in the DeFi sector, an ecosystem built on smart contracts and blockchain technology,” crypto market expert David Materazzi, who is the CEO of automated trading platform Galileo FX, told Newsweek. “This isn’t a simple token. It’s a governance coin with far-reaching implications. Trump’s entry signals that crypto is no longer a niche hobby for tech enthusiasts.”
Ahead of the sale launch, Trump pledged to “make America the crypto capital of the world,” despite previously expression skepticism over cryptocurrency.
“I promised to Make America Great Again, this time with crypto,” Trump wrote on X last month. “@WorldLibertyFi is planning to help make America the crypto capital of the world! The whitelist for eligible persons is officially open—this is your chance to be part of this historic moment.”
The new crypto coin differs significantly from bitcoin crypto due to its non-transferable and non-yielding nature. It also had 63 percent of its token supply specifically reserved for accredited investors, which includes individuals who have a net worth of $1 million or more.
“For now, WLFI is out of reach for the average Joe,” Materazzi said. “Only accredited investors are on the list, handpicked for this exclusive presale. The rest of the market will have to wait their turn, but by the time the public sale comes, some of the early movers may have already made or lost a killing. This is the moment for the sharks.”
Previously, Trump spoke of his concerns that cryptocurrency “just seems like a scam.”
“I am not a fan of Bitcoin and other Cryptocurrencies, which are not money, and whose value is highly volatile and based on thin air,” Trump wrote on social media in 2019. “Unregulated Crypto Assets can facilitate unlawful behavior, including drug trade and other illegal activity.”
“We have only one real currency in the USA,” Trump also said. “And it will always stay that way. It is called the United States Dollar!”
Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign via email for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
The WLFI token is built on Ethereum and designed to attract both institutional and retail investors, Materazzi said, but there are risks.
“Like any crypto, volatility is likely, and the market may swing wildly,” Materazzi said. “For those willing to embrace the ride this could either be a windfall or a pitfall. In crypto, fortune favors the brave, but never the reckless.”
Materazzi said Trump’s switch up on crypto is likely about wanting the US to dominate in the market rather than an outright love of blockchain.
“It’s not about a love for blockchain, it’s about dominance,” Materazzi said. “He wants the U.S. to be the top player in the game and he’s realized crypto could be the ticket to that.”
Anastasija Plotnikova, the co-founder and CEO of Fideum, said WLFI’s launch could raise significant questions about conflicts of interest and the use of personal business ventures in political campaigns.
“The project’s structure, particularly its restriction to accredited investors, appears designed to navigate SEC regulations,” Plotnikova told Newsweek. “If we look at mass adoption, Trump’s endorsement could accelerate mainstream acceptance of cryptocurrencies.”