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Trump’s World Liberty Financial to Launch USD1 Stablecoin

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Donald Trump’s World Liberty Financial venture announced plans to launch a new dollar-pegged stablecoin, USD1, which will be fully backed by U.S. Treasuries, dollars, and other cash equivalents to maintain a value of $1. The move follows the venture’s successful raise of over $550 million from the sale of a separate digital token, $WLFI.

Stablecoins like Tether and USDC have become crucial players in the crypto industry, with over $237 billion in circulation. These tokens facilitate transactions between cryptocurrencies and provide liquidity in the market. USD1 aims to tap into this growing market and offer “sovereign investors and major institutions” a secure means of conducting cross-border transactions, according to World Liberty co-founder Zach Witkoff.

The reserves for USD1 will be audited by a third-party firm, although World Liberty has not disclosed further details. The stablecoin will initially launch on the Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain blockchains, with future plans to expand to other platforms. The firm also revealed its partnership with BitGo, a California-based custodian, to handle the reserves and provide institutional clients access to liquidity.

Trump’s crypto interests, including the launch of USD1 and a meme coin earlier this year, have raised concerns among ethics experts about potential conflicts of interest, especially as he has pledged to overhaul U.S. regulations on crypto. Despite this, the initiative aims to compete with established stablecoins in the market, such as Tether and USDC.

Tether in Talks with ‘Big Four’ Firm for Reserve Audit, CEO Says

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Tether, the largest issuer of stablecoins, is in discussions with a “Big Four” accounting firm to conduct an audit of its reserves, a move CEO Paolo Ardoino described as a priority for the company. Tether has issued over $140 billion worth of its dollar-pegged cryptocurrency, and although it has long promised an audit, the company has yet to release a full audit of its financials.

Currently, Tether provides quarterly reports on its reserves but has not undergone a full audit. Ardoino emphasized that securing an audit is now “feasible” and a top priority for the company. He did not specify which of the four major accounting firms—PwC, EY, Deloitte, or KPMG—Tether is in talks with or provide a timeline for when the audit would take place.

Ardoino also linked the feasibility of the audit to U.S. President Donald Trump’s stance on cryptocurrency. He argued that Trump’s support for digital assets could make it easier for Tether to engage with major accounting firms, in contrast to what the crypto industry has termed “Operation Chokepoint 2.0,” referring to alleged efforts by U.S. regulators to restrict access to financial services for crypto companies.

Trump, during his campaign, pledged to be a “crypto president” and has since signed an executive order to establish a strategic cryptocurrency reserve and promised regulatory reforms for digital assets. Ardoino expressed confidence that with Trump’s backing, major auditing firms would be more inclined to work with Tether.

Additionally, Tether has recently appointed Simon McWilliams as its chief financial officer to guide the company toward a comprehensive financial audit. As part of its financial activities, Tether purchased more than $33.1 billion in U.S. Treasury bills in 2024, positioning it as the seventh-largest buyer of U.S. government debt.

As of December 31, Tether’s reserves included over $94 billion in U.S. Treasury bills and more than $108 million in cash and bank deposits, according to a quarterly report compiled by BDO Italia. Ardoino also confirmed that 99% of these Treasury bills are held with Wall Street brokerage Cantor Fitzgerald, led by Howard Lutnick, who is closely connected to Trump’s administration.

Crypto Market Update: Bitcoin, Ether Decline as Volatility Hits Altcoins

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The cryptocurrency market saw a downturn on Monday, February 24, as Bitcoin and most altcoins registered losses across both national and international exchanges. Bitcoin’s value dipped by 1.20 percent over the past 24 hours on global platforms, bringing its price to $95,630 (roughly Rs. 82.8 lakh). Meanwhile, on Indian exchanges like CoinDCX and CoinSwitch, Bitcoin experienced a smaller decline of under one percent, hovering around $96,984 (roughly Rs. 84 lakh).

Over the weekend, Bitcoin briefly approached the $100,000 (roughly Rs. 86.6 lakh) mark before experiencing a correction, dropping below $95,000 (roughly Rs. 82.3 lakh). The decline was partly triggered by a massive $1.4 billion (roughly Rs. 12,131 crore) crypto hack on Friday, which led to significant withdrawals from investors. This incident affected the broader crypto market, causing notable losses in altcoins like Ethereum (ETH), XRP, and Solana. Analysts believe Bitcoin could experience further volatility if it falls below the crucial $94,000 (roughly Rs. 81.4 lakh) support level in the coming days.

Ethereum (ETH), the second-largest cryptocurrency, also faced a decline, dropping by one percent in the last 24 hours. On global exchanges, Ether is currently trading at $2,732 (roughly Rs. 2.33 lakh), while its price on Indian exchanges stands at around $2,757 (roughly Rs. 2.38 lakh). This downtrend in ETH, coupled with Bitcoin’s losses, suggests a cautious market sentiment as traders react to recent security concerns and market corrections.

With increased market volatility and external factors influencing investor behavior, experts advise caution in the short term. While Bitcoin’s ability to hold above key support levels will determine its next movement, the broader market remains under pressure. The upcoming days will be crucial in assessing whether a recovery is imminent or if further corrections are expected across major cryptocurrencies.