Trump family's crypto firm looks to sell its payments business
World Liberty Financial's payments arm, AI Financial, is in talks to sell its core business to Perpetuals.com for up to $15 million, per the Wall Street Journal, even as Trump-linked entities reportedly netted over $500 million from WLFI token sales.
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@worldlibertyfi's payments arm, AI Financial, is in talks to offload its core business to Tokyo-based blockchain firm Perpetuals.com for up to $15 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. The development marks a sharp reversal for a company that was once promoted as the foundation of an international payments network powered by World Liberty Financial's USD1 stablecoin.
From $750 Million to $15 Million
The problems began after World Liberty acquired a controlling stake in AI Financial in August 2025 by paying with its own $WLFI cryptocurrency. AI Financial then raised an additional $750 million from outside investors to purchase more WLFI tokens, leaving the company heavily exposed to the Trump-backed digital asset.
Under the reported deal terms, Perpetuals.com would pay $5 million upfront in stock, with an additional $10 million contingent on future revenue targets, while also assuming certain liabilities tied to the payments unit. Perpetuals.com confirmed the discussions in a press release on July 7, saying it had signed a non-binding term sheet to explore the acquisition of Alt5 Sigma Canada Inc., with its Chief Strategy Officer noting the company is currently conducting due diligence and that no final decision has been made.
The unit generated roughly $25 million in revenue last year and is AI Financial's sole revenue-generating business. According to the Journal, no USD1 stablecoin transactions have ever been processed through AI Financial's payments platform.
Investors Burned, Trumps Profit
$WLFI has slid roughly 70% since the deal was announced, and AI Financial's stock has cratered more than 90% from highs near $9.76, with shares now trading around $0.53. AI Financial posted a $271.5 million net loss for Q1 2026, driven by a $348.3 million unrealised loss on its WLFI holdings, and management has flagged substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue as a going concern within 12 months.
The Trump family is entitled to 75% of the proceeds from World Liberty's crypto token sales, putting their direct gains from the August transaction at roughly $500 million after fees and other expenses. Trump's crypto-related income for 2025 included about $515 million from the sale of tokens released by World Liberty Financial, and $65 million from sales of equity in the holding company.
As part of the broader arrangement, Perpetuals.com has also agreed to explore offering World Liberty Financial's USD1 stablecoin in Europe and to license its trading technology to AI Financial. Both World Liberty Financial and AI Financial declined to comment on the reported sale talks.
Sources:
International Business Times: Trump Family Pockets Half A Billion As Trump-Backed Crypto Firm Moves To Sell Only Revenue-Generating Business
CNBC: Trump family got about $500M from crypto venture as investors saw steep losses
The Crypto Times: Trump-Linked WLFI Treasury Firm to Sell Core Unit for $15M After Token Crash
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Crypto RichRich has been researching cryptocurrency and blockchain technology for eight years and has served as a senior analyst at BSCN since its founding in 2020. He focuses on fundamental analysis of early-stage crypto projects and tokens and has published in-depth research reports on over 200 emerging protocols. Rich also writes about broader technology and scientific trends and maintains active involvement in the crypto community through X/Twitter Spaces, and leading industry events.