Trump Family’s $750 Million Crypto Deal Sparks $500 Million Payday Debate

* Trump family completes $750 million crypto deal, funneling $500 million to controlled entities. * Transaction makes digital assets their primary revenue source, raising questions of insider control. The Trump family has finalized a $750 million cryptocurrency transaction, placing digital assets at the center of their business operations. On September 1, 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported that the deal features proprietary WLFI tokens issued by World Liberty Financial. In a circular arrangement, the family funneled $500 million, or three-quarters of the token revenue, back to entities under their control. World Liberty Financial, a private company Donald Trump founded, orchestrated the strategy. The company sold WLFI tokens to Alt5 Sigma, a payments company it recently acquired. Alt5 Sigma raised $750 million from external investors to purchase the tokens. After the transaction, Trump-affiliated leaders took control of Alt5 Sigma’s governance. Zach Witkoff became chairman, and Eric Trump joined the board. To mark the shift, Witkoff and Eric Trump rang the opening bell at Nasdaq on August 13, 2025. The WLFI token will begin trading next Monday. Disclosures estimate the Trump family’s WLFI holdings exceed $6 billion on paper. Former President Trump directly controls about two-thirds of this value. World Liberty Financial holds 33 billion tokens but will only make a limited portion publicly available. Early investors also reportedly face selling restrictions. Some observers have raised concerns about the deal's circular nature and potential market risks. The insider control over the token supply and governance has also drawn scrutiny. However, former regulators indicated the deal likely adheres to securities law if the company informed investors of all terms. While such arrangements are common in cryptocurrency markets, they may face skepticism in traditional financial settings. This transaction marks a pivotal shift for the Trump family, whose ventures have historically revolved around real estate. World Liberty Financial previously raised $650 million in a private WLFI token sale. That sale involved prominent figures like Chinese billionaire Justin Sun. The company has also announced additional cryptocurrency projects, including a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar (USD1) and a mobile payments platform. As part of the deal, World Liberty Financial acquired Alt5 Sigma. The company previously operated as JanOne, focusing on recycling and pain medication. Before the acquisition, the company resolved SEC allegations of earnings inflation. Key investors in the latest funding round include Steve Cohen’s Point72 and Hong Kong-based Soul Ventures. On September 1, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated during a press briefing, “Neither the president nor his family have ever engaged, or will ever engage, in conflicts of interest.” As of 02:09 UTC on September 1, the WLFI token awaits its trading debut. Meanwhile, World Liberty Financial USD (USD1) is trading at $1.001, a -0.123% change over the past 24 hours. According to the latest market data, Official Trump (TRUMP) is trading at $8.487, and its daily trading volume is up 0.768%.