Étienne Girard
Tron founder Justin Sun, an early investor in World Liberty Financial (WLFI), has publicly appealed for the release of his tokens after his wallet was blacklisted by the Trump family-backed DeFi project. Posting on X early Friday, Sun stressed that his assets were “unreasonably frozen” despite his long-standing support and investment.
“I contributed not only funds but also trust and commitment to this project,” Sun said. “My goal has always been to grow alongside the team and community. However, my tokens were unfairly frozen.”
Sun emphasized that he purchased WLFI under the same terms as other investors and therefore “deserves equal rights.” He called the tokens “sacred and inviolable” and argued that freezing them violates the very principles that make blockchain stronger than traditional finance.
“True financial innovation must be built on fairness, transparency, and trust — not unilateral actions that freeze investor assets,” Sun declared.
Blacklisting Sparks Market Turmoil
On Thursday, the WLFI token contract blacklisted Sun’s address, blocking his ability to transfer tokens or participate in governance. The move came shortly after Sun’s wallet transferred 50 million WLFI (worth about $9 million), which eventually routed through an HTX hot wallet, an exchange with which Sun has close ties as a Global Advisory Board member.
Blockchain data later showed that an additional 60 million WLFI ($11.1 million) were transferred to an HTX Gnosis Safe Proxy address. Speculation mounted when community members alleged Sun may have had a private agreement with the Trump family not to sell tokens, fueling frustration.
Allegations of Binance Deposits
Adding to the controversy, Arkham and Coinbase executive Conor Grogan reported that a Binance deposit wallet tied to Sun received over 60 million WLFI ($12 million), representing more than half of HTX’s WLFI holdings.
Sun rejected these claims, explaining that his wallet only conducted “exchange deposit tests” with small amounts and that “no buying or selling was involved.” Still, such large transfers often trigger panic in crypto markets, regardless of intent.
WLFI Price Reaction
World Liberty Financial’s token debuted on exchanges earlier this week. Following the blacklist news and transfer speculation, WLFI plunged by 24% on Thursday before recovering slightly to $0.19, according to PRIME.
Sun’s Deep Ties to WLFI and Trump Tokens
Justin Sun has been one of World Liberty Financial’s largest backers, investing $75 million in WLFI and joining the project as an advisor. He also pledged to purchase $100 million worth of the TRUMP memecoin, further strengthening his ties to Trump-linked crypto initiatives.
Earlier this year, World Liberty Financial also invested millions into Sun’s Tron (TRX) token, highlighting the deep financial relationship between the two parties.
