The Financial Times reported on Monday that World Liberty Financial (WLF), the digital asset venture associated with President Donald Trump, has successfully raised $1 billion through its token sales. 

Initially launched in October with a goal of selling only 20 billion WLF tokens, the decentralized finance’s (DeFi) venture token surpassed this target by selling 21 billion tokens, demonstrating robust demand despite a rocky start.

Eric Trump Champions World Liberty Financial At ‘High-Profile Event’

Per the report, this surge in interest comes as WLF announces the release of an additional 5 billion tokens from its total supply of 100 billion, citing “massive demand and overwhelming interest.” 

The Trump family’s foray into the cryptocurrency space has been marked by a blend of enthusiasm and controversy. Over the weekend, both Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, launched their own memecoins, which experienced rapid spikes in value. 

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Eric Trump, actively promoting World Liberty Financial, also attended a “high-profile crypto event” in Washington, celebrating the intersection of politics and digital assets as his father prepares for a new administration.

Trump’s embrace of the crypto sector during his election campaign has resonated with industry executives, many of whom anticipate a more favorable regulatory environment compared to the policies of the outgoing Biden administration. 

The appointment of crypto-friendly figures, such as Paul Atkins to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and David Sacks as the newly created artificial intelligence (AI) and Crypto Czar, further underscores this potential shift. However, the venture has not been without its critics. 

Trump’s Memecoins Spark Controversy

Concerns arise over the limited rights associated with WLF tokens, which provide holders with only minimal voting rights and no economic entitlements. Furthermore, the tokens cannot be traded or sold back to WLF, leading to questions about their long-term value and utility.

Compounding the intrigue surrounding WLF, notable crypto entrepreneur and TRON blockchain founder Justin Sun recently revealed a significant investment of $45 million into the venture, raising his total stake to $75 million. 

The market’s reaction has been volatile, exemplified by Bitcoin’s brief spike to a record high of over $109,000 on Monday, followed by a retraction toward $102,000 after Trump’s inauguration speech. 

Analysts now speculate that upcoming executive orders from Trump could bolster the crypto industry’s fortunes in the US, although skepticism lingers among some industry veterans. 

Nic Carter, a venture capitalist, articulated concerns about the “ethical implications” of a sitting president engaging in business ventures that could be perceived as “conflicts of interest.”

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The launch of Trump’s memecoins has also stirred controversy, with the Donald Trump memecoin experiencing a sharp decline from a weekend high of $75 to $52. 

Meanwhile, the Melania Trump memecoin, which disrupted the market dynamics of the Donald coin, saw its value fluctuate significantly from a high of $13.64 to $8.43.

Bernstein analysts have noted that this “chaotic crypto era” marks a critical juncture, suggesting that government engagement with cryptocurrencies may redefine the relationship between leadership and emerging technologies. 

The analysts assert that the launch of Trump and Melania’s memecoins signifies a potential regulatory shift in the country, where digital assets could serve as a direct connection to a mass audience.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

Masayoshi Son (L), Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group Corp, Larry Ellison (C), Executive Charmain Oracle and Sam Altman (R), CEO of Open AI listen to US President Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on January 21, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

Disclaimer: The analyst who wrote this piece owns shares of MicroStrategy (MSTR).

Led by Executive Chairman Michael Saylor, MicroStrategy (MSTR) has again added to its massive bitcoin (BTC) stack.

In the week ending Jan 19, the company purchased 11,000 BTC for $1.1 billion, taking its total holdings to 461,000 BTC. This latest bitcoin average purchase price was $101,191, increasing MicroStrategy’s overall average purchase price to $63,610.

Once again, Michael Saylor teased the announcement on X on Sunday with the caption, “Things will be different tomorrow.” Since the tweet, Saylor has posted multiple photos of himself with Eric Trump, crypto czar David Sacks and Robert Kennedy Jr.

MSTR shares are down modestly in premarket action, with bitcoin trading at $104,500, lower by a hair from late Friday afternoon. U.S. stocks were closed on Monday due to the MLK holiday.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc’s Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

“President Trump is trying to downsize the WHO, and the question is whether other high-income nations like those in Europe, Australia, Japan, and elsewhere, pick up some of the slack,” says Vermund. “Will the Gates Foundation, which has been a very generous donor, pick up some? It’s conceivable that others will tide things over until we have a new administration that might be more friendly to the WHO, but I’m dubious that they can pick up the entire chunk of the WHO budget which is paid for by the US.”

And it isn’t just money that the US provides to the WHO, but staff and expertise too. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has seconded a number of staff to the WHO, and I would predict that the Trump administration, with a new CDC director, will call those folks home,” says Vermund. “That would create quite a gap, because WHO funds do not pay for those individuals. So I think you’d have an almost immediate reduction of workforce and removal of critical professionals within the WHO organization.”

According to Gostin, a lot of the money the US provides to the WHO is core mandatory funding, which all members are required to give, but some funds are particularly earmarked for causes in which the US has a vested interest, such as polio eradication, HIV/AIDS, and the process of identifying and controlling disease outbreaks before they spread and reach American shores. Without US funding, Gostin says that these programs wouldn’t completely disappear, but they would be significantly weakened.

“Polio could come surging back,” says Gostin. “Remember we had polio in the wastewater in New York just a couple of years ago, and our kids are not being immunized. And we’ve had other real health scares in the United States, not just Covid-19, which killed more than a million people. We’ve had Zika, and the next health emergency might be just a mutation or two away. Maybe it’s already here in the form of avian influenza, and we’re going to need WHO to help us with that.”

Both Gostin and Vermund fear that withdrawing from the WHO will place the US at the back of the line when it comes to receiving critical information such as pathogen samples and genomic sequencing data, which pharmaceutical companies require to generate effective vaccines. Gostin cites how the US relies on WHO data every year to effectively update the seasonal influenza vaccine, while Vermund explains that financially speaking, it is far more efficient for the US to fund the WHO to help “snuff out” diseases at their source, rather than trying to tackle them when they arrive in the country.

“We spent over $2 billion preparing for Ebola to hit US shores in 2014 and 2015, and since we only had five or six cases, that was very cost-ineffective,” says Vermund. “So that’s a typical example of how when the US goes it alone, it will be very inefficient compared with contributing to a multinational response to control a disease in the country of origin.”

Benefit fraudsters who cheated taxpayers out of £7billion last year could face driving bans under sweeping new powers announced by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The legislation, introduced in Parliament today, represents the biggest fraud clampdown in a generation. Repeat offenders who refuse to repay their debts could be disqualified from driving for up to two years.

The Government has unveiled new rules to clampdown on benefit fraudsters

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The Bill is expected to save the Department £1.5billion over the next five years. The measures will be based on principles of fairness and proportionality, with driving bans used only as a last resort.

Officials will prioritise negotiating affordable and sustainable repayment plans with offenders before pursuing more severe penalties. The legislation forms part of the government’s Plan for Change, which aims to reform the health and disability welfare system.

New proposals for reforming health and disability benefits are expected in the Spring. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: “We are turning off the tap to criminals who cheat the system and steal law-abiding taxpayers money.”

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She emphasised the serious consequences for fraudsters, including the potential loss of driving privileges in extreme cases. “Backed up by new and important safeguards including reporting mechanisms and independent oversight to ensure the powers are used proportionately and safely,” Kendall added.

DWP Minister Liz Kendall is promising to tackle benefit fraud

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“People need to have confidence the Government is opening all available doors to tackle fraud and eliminate waste, as we continue the most ambitious programme for government in a generation – with a laser-like focus on outcomes which will make the biggest difference to their lives as part of our Plan for Change.”

Under the new powers, DWP will be able to recover money directly from bank accounts of those who owe money and refuse to pay, despite having the means to do so.

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However, the Department will not have direct access to people’s bank accounts. The legislation will allow DWP to request bank statements to prove debtors have sufficient funds to repay what they owe.

These measures are part of a modernised approach to catching fraudsters and preventing overpayments. The new system aims to keep pace with sophisticated fraud while ensuring legitimate claimants receive the correct benefits.

Officials say this will help prevent vulnerable customers from falling further into debt. The powers will apply to individuals who are not on benefits or in PAYE employment but still owe money to the Department. The legislation includes comprehensive safeguarding measures to protect vulnerable customers.

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Benefit fraudsters could be banned from driving under Government plans

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Staff will receive high-level training on the appropriate use of new powers. New oversight and reporting mechanisms will be introduced to monitor how these powers are used.

Furthermore, Government will develop Codes of Practice, which will be subject to consultation during the Bill’s passage. All powers will have clearly defined scope and limitations, including the right to appeal decisions.

The Cabinet Office’s Public Sector Fraud Authority will receive additional powers under the new legislation. Georgia Gould, Minister in the Cabinet Office, said: “During the pandemic, when people and businesses needed government support the most, some people stole public money for their own personal gain.”

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The time limit for civil claims against Covid fraud will be doubled from six to twelve years. This extension will give investigators more time to examine complex cases and apply new powers retrospectively. These powers include the ability to raid properties and retrieve money from Covid fraudsters’ bank accounts.