From Wrapped Bitcoin To Justin Sun: Trump’s Crypto Platform Executes Major $10 Million Swap
December 19 2024 - 11:30PM
NEWSBTC
In a notable development for Donald Trump’s crypto initiative,
World Liberty Financial (WL), has reportedly exchanged
approximately $10 million worth of wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) for
tokens associated with project adviser Justin Sun, founder of the
TRON blockchain. World Liberty Financial Links With Justin
Sun In Major Token Swap According to blockchain data analytics firm
Nansen, a digital wallet linked to President-elect’s World Liberty
Financial swapped its entire holding of 103 cbBTC tokens for WBTC
on a Wednesday operation. Wrapped Bitcoin serves as a bridge
for Bitcoin (BTC) holders to engage in decentralized finance (DeFi)
activities on the Ethereum (ETH) blockchain, enabling broader
participation in the DeFi ecosystem. Related Reading: Crypto
Expert Predicts Major Altcoin Season As Market Cap Eyes Record
Levels Although World Liberty has been marketed as a decentralized
finance lending platform, it has yet to become operational as it is
still in early stages of development and presales of its WLF token.
Sun, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur known for his high-profile
investments and attention-grabbing antics—including purchasing a
banana duct-taped to a wall for $6.2 million—invested $30 million
in World Liberty Financial in November, becoming an adviser to the
project. His involvement appears to have pushed World Liberty
past a financial threshold that could allow Trump to profit from
the enterprise, potentially securing at least $15 million for the
Trump family based on terms outlined in World Liberty’s “gold
paper.” Trump’s Crypto Initiative Struggles The recent token swap
follows World Liberty’s earlier cryptocurrency acquisitions,
including significant investments in Aave (AAVE) and Chainlink
(LINK). Additionally, Nansen’s data indicates that the project’s
wallets received around $250,000 in ONDO, a token from Ondo
Finance, which specializes in tokenization. The backdrop of these
transactions is marked by controversy, particularly following a
backlash triggered by a strategic partnership between Sun’s BiT
Global and crypto custody firm BitGo, the operator of Wrapped
Bitcoin. This partnership prompted US-based crypto exchange
Coinbase to seek a delisting of WBTC from its exchange due to
concerns over Sun’s potential influence and control. Related
Reading: Bitcoin May Surge To $200,000 By Mid-2025 Amid ‘Mild’
Price Pullbacks: Report Earlier this month, BiT Global filed a
lawsuit against Coinbase in response to the delisting, but a
federal judge in California ruled in favor of Coinbase, denying BiT
Global’s request for a temporary restraining order. Despite the
promotional efforts by Trump and his sons, World Liberty Financial
has faced challenges in the market, with sales reportedly falling
93% short of projections. This lack of traction raises questions
about the project’s viability and its ability to fulfill its
ambitious promises of transforming the financial landscape. At the
time of writing, the total crypto market capitalization has fallen
to the $3.3 trillion mark, after hitting an all-time high of $3.73
trillion on Tuesday, which also pushed the price of Bitcoin to a
new record above $108,000. Featured image from RFI, chart
from TradingView.com
Ethereum (COIN:ETHUSD)
Historical Stock Chart
From Nov 2024 to Dec 2024
Ethereum (COIN:ETHUSD)
Historical Stock Chart
From Dec 2023 to Dec 2024