Trump-backed WLFI expands USD1 reach with Aster Trade listing and wider stablecoin push

Trump-backed WLFI expands USD1 reach with Aster Trade listing and wider stablecoin push

World Liberty Financial, the crypto venture linked to former US President Donald Trump and his family interests, has announced a trading partnership with Aster Trade, also known as Aster DEX, to list USD1 pairs on its platform. The move is part of WLFI’s steady effort to push USD1 beyond a single ecosystem and into more places where traders actually park funds between volatile positions.

Aster said it will start by launching the RAVE/USD1 trading pair under its “Rocket Launch Round 4” programme. It also suggested more USD1 pairs could follow, potentially involving larger assets such as Bitcoin, Ether and Solana, though those additions have not been confirmed or scheduled publicly. For a DEX-like venue, the value proposition is familiar: a stable, dollar-pegged unit that traders can use as a base currency rather than moving back and forth into fiat off-ramps.

The tie-up had been signalled earlier by Aster’s founder and chief executive, Leonard, who referenced discussions with WLFI representatives in Dubai about expanding USD1’s use in crypto markets. The formal listing announcement later landed on social media, converting those conversations into an operational step.

USD1 is positioned as a dollar-backed stablecoin intended to hold close to a one-to-one peg with the US dollar. WLFI’s pitch is that it can serve as “digital cash” inside crypto markets, usable for trading, transfers and liquidity provision across DeFi protocols. Like other stablecoins, its success depends less on branding and more on whether it becomes liquid, widely accepted and operationally reliable.

Early market reaction was modest. Tokens tied to Aster’s ecosystem, including RAVE and ASTER, moved in response to the headline, but the broader picture remained shaped by overall crypto sentiment. That is typical for listings that expand access but do not, on their own, prove sustained demand.

The Aster integration also sits alongside other distribution signals around USD1. Earlier in 2025, USD1 was added to Coinbase’s roadmap for a potential listing, which would be a significant channel if it progresses from “roadmap” to active trading. But the same political profile that helps WLFI attract attention also raises questions regulators and critics tend to ask first: governance, disclosures, and how reserve backing is structured and verified.

For WLFI, the Aster Trade listing is another incremental step in a slow-build strategy. For the market, the real test is simple: does USD1 gain deep liquidity and daily usage, or does it remain a headline stablecoin that struggles to move beyond periodic listings.