HTX Becomes First Exchange to list USD1 Stablecoin issued by Trump family-owned World Liberty Financial

Crypto exchange HTX has announced it is the first platform globally to list the USD1 stablecoin issued by Trump-family World Liberty Financial (WLFI). The Singapore-based exchange revealed on Tuesday that USD1 is fully collateralised and pegged 1:1 to the US dollar, with custody services provided by BitGo Trust Company.

The 'passionate minds shaping the future of finance' at World Liberty Financial

World Liberty Financial is a business entity controlled by the Trump family, with 60% ownership, and is entitled to 75% of all net revenue generated from the sale of the platform’s governance tokens and coin sales. Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. are actively involved in the management of World Liberty, although daily operations are delegated to three partners: Zak Folkman, Chase Herro, and Zach Witkoff (son of Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff).

According to HTX, the stablecoin has been designed to comply with US financial regulatory standards. As of 6 May, USD1 has reportedly achieved a market capitalisation of approximately $2.12 billion, ranking 45th on cryptocurrency tracker CoinMarketCap. USD1 is designed to maintain a 1:1 peg with the U.S. dollar and is fully backed by short-term U.S. Treasury bills, dollar deposits, and other cash equivalents. USD1 is intended for digital payments, cross-border transactions, and as a stable store of value within DeFi applications, available on major blockchains like Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain. At TOKEN2049 in Dubai last week, it was announced by Eric Trump that Abu Dhabi investment firm MGX would pay for its $2 billion investment in Binance using USD1. 

The announcement follows discussions at TOKEN 2049 between Justin Sun, HTX Advisor and TRON Founder, Eric Trump, son of the US President, and Zach Witkoff, Co-founder of WLFI. During these talks, Witkoff outlined three key challenges in traditional finance that USD1 aims to address: lack of transparency, financial exclusion, and inefficient cross-border payment processes.

"We stand at a historical juncture where blockchain technology will redefine the boundaries of financial freedom," Sun said at the TOKEN 2049 summit, emphasising that financial freedom represents a fundamental principle of blockchain technology.

Eric Trump reportedly expressed support for compliant stablecoins like USD1, suggesting they could promote the internationalisation of the US dollar while highlighting blockchain technology's potential to transform traditional finance.

HTX describes its listing strategy as "supporting quality projects and creating value for users" and claims it selected USD1 based on the issuer's background, asset collateralisation mechanisms, audit processes, regulatory compliance, and vision.

To mark the launch, HTX is offering zero-fee trading for the USD1/USDT trading pair from 6 May until 31 December 2025.

HTX, is regarded as the 3rd largest crypto exchange globally in terms of spot transactions, after Binance and Bitget, with over 50 million registered users. Justin Sun is both a key advisor to HTX and an official advisor and major investor in World Liberty Financial (WLFI), the Trump family’s crypto venture. As of early 2025, Sun has invested at least $75–90 million in WLFI, making him its largest outside investor.