Trump-backed World Liberty debuts lending app as stablecoin strategy accelerates

The new service, branded “WLFI Markets,” is integrated into the project’s iOS and Android app and initially supports deposits of USD1, ETH, SOL, wrapped bitcoin via Coinbase’s cbBTC, and the WLFI token. WLFI says the venue is powered by DeFi protocol Dolomite and opened with roughly $20 million in total value locked, alongside a promotional yield that can reach 27% on USD1 when combined with WLFI-denominated incentives.

WLFI positions the app as a retail-friendly hub to “store, earn, and borrow” using crypto collateral, tying lending to its broader in-app ecosystem that already offers a custodial wallet, payments, and staking-style earning screens. The company frames USD1 as the core settlement asset across features and emphasizes cbBTC support to broaden bitcoin-backed activity inside the app.

The launch lands as WLFI, whose backers include members of the Trump family, seeks a national banking license from the OCC – an application that has drawn scrutiny over potential conflicts given the project’s ties to the White House. In recent weeks, other crypto firms including Circle, Ripple and Paxos received conditional nods from the OCC, underscoring how access to payments rails and deposit-taking privileges has become central to stablecoin and digital-asset business models.

WLFI says “WLFI Markets” will roll out additional collateral and borrowing pairs in phases and will introduce governance features so token holders can vote on fee parameters and risk settings. The company notes that USD1 launched in March 2025 and has since grown into a multi-billion-dollar stablecoin by circulating supply, with the WLFI token used for app rewards and fee rebates.

Regulatory attention around WLFI’s filing turns on who ultimately oversees prudential risk and consumer protection for a platform that blends a private stablecoin, retail lending, and a rewards token. Fortune reported that WLFI created a new trust entity for the charter bid and that executives say the structure was “intentionally” designed to avoid direct control by President Trump or his family – an approach critics argue does not fully resolve the appearance problem when an applicant is linked to the administration supervising the regulator.

For users, the immediate change is the availability of on-app lending and borrowing that pays incentives in WLFI, alongside base yields on USD1 deposits. For WLFI, the charter process – if successful – could open the door to holding client assets directly, issuing stablecoins from a federally supervised entity, and applying for a Federal Reserve master account to access systems such as Fedwire and ACH.