Some fighters at Sunday’s UFC event on the White House south lawn were slated to receive performance bonuses paid in USD1, the dollar-pegged stablecoin issued by World Liberty Financial. World Liberty confirmed the arrangement on Monday, saying UFC would award up to $250,000 in bonuses using USD1.
USD1’s market price rose above $1 on June 12 and stayed above that level at last check. CoinMarketCap data showed a sharp increase in trading activity, with 24-hour volume up roughly 93% to about $2.38 billion. The token had traded below $1 for much of the previous month.
The event, billed as “UFC Freedom 250,” drew criticism from some lawmakers for a reported $60 million price tag. Held on the White House lawn as part of semiquincentennial celebrations, the card included a slate of sponsors beyond World Liberty, including prediction market Polymarket and crypto exchange Crypto.com, which pledged $1 million in fighter bonuses in its Cronos (CRO) token.
World Liberty Financial, launched in 2024 by members of the Trump family alongside other backers tied to the administration, has been at the center of scrutiny amid allegations of conflicts and corruption. In May 2025, a UAE company said it planned to use USD1 to settle a $2 billion investment in Binance. World Liberty also has an application pending with the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for a national trust charter.
President Trump’s January 2025 financial disclosures listed his holdings in World Liberty at more than $50 million. Last year, he signed the GENIUS Act into law, creating a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins in the United States—a move that drew criticism from many Democratic lawmakers who flagged possible conflicts of interest.
Reacting to the UFC announcement, Jaelin O’Halloran, a spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee, said there appears to be no limit to Trump’s self-dealing and accused him of using the presidency to benefit himself and his family. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle responded that there are no conflicts of interest, adding that the president’s assets are held in a trust managed by his children.
Separately, World Liberty faces litigation from Tron founder Justin Sun. In April, Sun sued the company, alleging it froze his tokens and threatened to destroy them without justification; World Liberty later filed a countersuit. Sun remains a prominent crypto figure and a noted supporter of Trump.
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