Trump’s crypto firm made $1.2 billion in 16 months because it found a way to sell resort debt as tokens
A Trump-linked firm tokenized future resort debt, creating a regulated security that generated $1.2 billion in 16 months.Summary
World Liberty Financial, a firm linked to Donald Trump, is tokenizing loan-revenue interests tied to the Trump International Hotel and Resort Maldives, effectively selling slices of projected interest payments as digital securities to accredited investors. This structure is more akin to a regulated structured credit product than typical real estate tokenization, as investors buy a claim on cashflows contingent on the resort's construction and successful servicing.
The tokenization process, handled by Securitize, embeds the product within regulated digital securities infrastructure. A key economic aspect is that a Trump family-owned entity, DT Marks DEFI, is set to receive 75% of the revenue from WLFI token sales upon issuance, separate from the future yield investors expect. This branding leverage accelerates distribution and reduces buyer acquisition costs.
This venture follows Trump-linked crypto efforts that began with memorabilia tokens, but World Liberty Financial's focus on financial infrastructure generated substantial profit—at least $1.2 billion in cash for the Trump family over 16 months. The Maldives deal, with its 2030 completion target, tests how far regulated tokenization can scale when amplified by a politically charged brand, potentially normalizing tokenized private credit marketed via high-profile names.
(Source：CryptoSlate)