WLFI Jumps Double Digits Ahead of Mar-a-Lago ‘World Liberty Forum’

World Liberty Financial’s WLFI token rose double digits ahead of a high-profile meeting at Mar-a-Lago, although experts remain divided on whether this move signals real momentum or a short squeeze fueled by whale activity.

According to CoinGecko data, WLFI is up more than 22% in the past 24 hours, despite a 25% decline in the past month. The token’s sudden spike coincides with Tuesday of the Trump family-backed project announcement of a “World Liberty Forum” on February 18 at the President’s Florida residence, with an agenda on digital assets, stable coinsAI and the strength of the dollar, among other things.

The move tests whether politically themed tokens can support event-driven speculation rallies — and whether an intensification of scrutiny from Washington could limit any upside before it gains traction.

Connor Howe, CEO and co-founder of Layer 1 network Enso, attributed the increase to technical factors rather than organic demand. “One whale lost 2.75 million USDC in a single purchase, a team-linked wallet received 10 million from Coinbase, and a bunch of short sellers ended up on the wrong side of the trade,” Howe shared. Declutter.

He noted that volume doubled overnight, open interest rose 40% and funding remained negative leading up to the move. “That’s called a short squeeze, not organic demand,” Howe said. “WLFI is still down 27% in 30 days and is 60% below its all-time high in 2025. Speculators staged a relief rally.”

Illia Otychenko, chief analyst at CEX.IO, pointed to reports of a buyback of WLFI tokens in the past 24 hours as another catalyst that tightened supply.

“On-chain data suggests increased whale accumulation, reinforcing upward momentum,” he said Declutter. “Together, these catalysts may have created the conditions for a sharp increase.”

The Mar-a-Lago event has clearly increased the market’s attention, Otychenko added. “Zack Witkoff, co-founder and CEO of WLFI, said the team plans to make ‘game-changing announcements’ at the forum. Increased visibility and anticipation likely amplified existing bullish momentum rather than creating it from scratch.”

The sudden rise of the WLFI token appears to be “sentiment-driven rather than purely fundamental,” Shivam Thakral, CEO of Indian crypto exchange BuyUCoin, told me. Declutter. “Traders are turning to politically themed or narrative-based tokens as macro uncertainty increases… Markets respond to perceived influence and access. Every meeting involving policymakers, donors and crypto stakeholders fuels expectations of friendlier regulation.”

World Liberty Financial under scrutiny

Even as traders chase the rally, the project faces intensified scrutiny over a $500 million investment from a UAE affiliate that arrived just days before Trump’s inauguration – followed shortly after by US approval of AI chip exports to the UAE.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA-17) has launched an investigation into the deal, which Senate Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) characterized as “the elements of bribery.”

Tension increased last week when Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) urged the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to review the deal.

Howe warned that the market may be underestimating the risk. “In the short term, the political heat is actually fueling WLFI’s meme premium,” the Enso analyst said. “But if a real CFIUS investigation gains traction, it will kill institutional appetite and limit any serious benefit just when the project needs credibility most.”

Otychenko tempered his tone, noting that “political control can increase uncertainty and increase volatility, especially for projects considered politically connected.”

Thakral argued that the short-term outlay that led to the WLFI pump could be reversed in the long term, with investigations likely “to put pressure on the token’s price and expansion plans in the short or even long term.”