World Liberty Financial (WLFI), the Trump family-backed DeFi platform, is set to roll out its own debit card “very soon,” according to co-founder Zak Folkman. The announcement, made during a fireside chat at the Korea Blockchain Week 2025 Impact conference, signals a major push toward everyday crypto usability, complete with seamless Apple Pay integration for its USD1 stablecoin.
Folkman, speaking to an audience of blockchain enthusiasts and industry leaders in Seoul, described the upcoming debit card as a cornerstone of WLFI’s retail expansion.
“This isn’t just a card, it’s the key to unlocking real-world spending for our stablecoin,”
He said, emphasizing its role in converting digital assets into frictionless fiat transactions. Users will be able to link their USD1 wallets directly to the card, enabling contactless payments at millions of merchants worldwide via Apple Pay. This integration aims to demystify crypto for mainstream users, allowing them to spend stablecoin holdings on everything from coffee runs to online shopping without the hassle of exchanges or conversions.
Complementing the debit card is WLFI’s forthcoming retail application, which Folkman likened to “Venmo meets Robinhood.” The app will combine peer-to-peer payment features, think instant transfers to friends, with intuitive trading tools for buying, selling, and managing assets like the WLFI token.
“We’re building something that feels familiar to Web2 users but powered by on-chain innovation,”
Folkman added. The dual launch is designed to onboard non-crypto natives, fostering broader adoption in a market still grappling with usability barriers.
Launched in September 2024, World Liberty Financial has quickly positioned itself as a conduit between legacy banking and blockchain, with Trump family members serving as prominent advisors and endorsers. The project boasts its native WLFI governance token and the USD1 stablecoin, the latter recently expanded with 100 million new tokens minted on Solana to support multi-chain liquidity. True to its agnostic ethos, Folkman firmly ruled out launching a proprietary blockchain: “We will never put out a World Liberty Financial chain.
Our job is to stay neutral, supporting all ecosystems, not siloing into one.”The news comes after strategic partnerships bolstering WLFI’s global footprint. Just days ago, the platform inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Bithumb, South Korea’s second-largest crypto exchange, to explore joint services like enhanced liquidity and regional integrations. This follows a May collaboration with Chainlink for cross-chain USD1 accessibility, underscoring WLFI’s marathon-like approach to ecosystem building.
Market reactions have been mixed. WLFI’s token dipped over 10% in the last 24 hours to around $0.21, caught in a broader crypto sell-off. Folkman acknowledged the volatility but remained bullish:
“Short-term fluctuations are inevitable, but as we roll out these products, WLFI’s value will climb in the long run.”
To counter downward pressure, the project recently approved a buyback-and-burn program for liquidity fees, backed by over 99% of governance votes, aiming to tighten supply and reward holders.
As WLFI eyes this next phase, the debit card and app could prove pivotal in scaling its $3 billion-valued stablecoin ecosystem. With Trump’s influence and a focus on practical DeFi tools, the platform is betting big on making “liberty” in finance as accessible as a swipe. Stay tuned for launch details. Folkman hinted at an imminent reveal, potentially within weeks.
