Trump-linked WLFI to tokenise Maldives resort loan income

World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency venture closely associated with President Donald Trump, unveiled plans to issue blockchain-based tokens backed by loan revenue interests tied to the Trump International Hotel & Resort in the Maldives, a luxury development slated for completion in 2030 and being built in partnership with the Trump Organization and Dubai-listed developer DarGlobal. The move forms part of WLFI’s broader real-world asset strategy aimed at diversifying beyond traditional crypto tokens into fixed-income-like offerings designed to appeal to accredited investors.

At a high-profile forum held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, executives of World Liberty Financial said the tokenised securities will represent interests in loan proceeds from the Maldivian resort’s development, with participants entitled to fixed yields and a share of cash flows from the underlying project. The offering will be conducted as a private placement under U. S. securities rules, accessible only to verified accredited investors or non-U. S. participants in offshore deals, and will be structured compliant with applicable regulations.

World Liberty’s announcement comes amid a broader push into real-world asset tokenisation, as the firm seeks to expand its digital asset ecosystem beyond its native WLFI token and its stablecoin product, USD1. The company’s stablecoin platform and digital lending marketplace have already gained traction, but volatility in broader cryptocurrency markets has underscored the challenges that digital-native assets face in delivering consistent investor returns.

The Maldives resort tokenisation illustrates a convergence between luxury real estate branding and blockchain finance. The Trump International Hotel & Resort project will comprise about 100 ultra-luxury beachfront and overwater villas, according to developers, and its high-end hospitality profile offers an attractive backdrop for offering income-linked digital securities. World Liberty’s collaboration with regulated tokenisation platform Securitize is intended to ensure that the issuance conforms to established legal frameworks, in contrast to some of the looser structures common in decentralised finance.

Market response to the announcement was immediate, with World Liberty’s WLFI token posting gains on trading venues as investors digested the new revenue-linked strategy. Market analysts have noted that linking digital tokens to tangible cash flow streams from a hospitality asset could appeal to investors seeking alternatives to pure speculative crypto holdings, though sceptics caution that real-world asset tokenisation remains nascent and complex, with regulatory and liquidity hurdles yet to be fully resolved.

Key figures associated with the firm attended the Mar-a-Lago forum where the plan was outlined, including executives from major traditional finance and crypto firms, highlighting how entrenched voices in both sectors are being courted to bolster legitimacy. World Liberty co-founder Zach Folkman and members of the Trump family have been prominent in promoting the venture’s expansion into asset tokenisation.

The token offering is expected to employ public blockchain rails for issuance and transfer, while maintaining some degree of regulatory oversight to satisfy investor protection requirements. By enabling ownership of fractionalised income interests in the resort’s development loans, the structured tokens effectively provide a bridge between digital assets and income-producing real estate finance, a model that proponents argue could broaden participation in high-value property markets.

The issuance also highlights ongoing scrutiny over World Liberty’s operations and backing. The firm has attracted significant foreign investment, including a reported stake purchased by entities linked to the United Arab Emirates prior to President Trump’s latest inauguration, which lawmakers have urged be examined for national security implications. Such political and financial entanglements have drawn attention from regulators and industry watchers alike as the project scales its offerings.