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Binance Controls 87% of Trump-Linked USD1 Stablecoin

Highlights:

  • Binance now holds almost all of the USD1 stablecoin supply, about 87% or $4.7 billion worth.
  • This unusual concentration on one exchange raises questions about ties to Trump and his family’s project.
  • After receiving a pardon from Trump, CZ and Binance heavily promoted and grew USD1 on their platform.

Binance has become the main holder of USD1, a stablecoin issued by World Liberty Financial, after new data showed the exchange controls nearly all of its supply. According to a February 10 Forbes report, Binance manages about $4.7 billion of USD1, equal to 87% of the token’s total $5.4 billion circulation. These holdings include both assets in Binance-managed wallets and customer accounts.

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Forbes estimates that the USD1 project has already added about $1 billion to Trump’s net worth. Unlike most major stablecoins, which are spread across several exchanges and wallets, USD1 is unusual because most of its supply sits on a single platform. Analysts say this level of concentration is rare for top stablecoins by market value.

USD1’s growing dominance on Binance has drawn attention because it is linked to World Liberty Financial, a venture partly backed by Trump’s family. Analysts say Binance’s control is unusual compared to other major stablecoins and raises questions about financial influence and political ties.

Binance and Zhao’s Role in Promoting USD1 Stablecoin

The connection between Binance and USD1 happened alongside major events involving Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao. Previously, Zhao stepped down as CEO after a $4.3 billion settlement with U.S. authorities for anti-money-laundering violations. He also served a short prison sentence. Then, in the previous year, President Donald Trump granted Zhao a presidential pardon.

After that, Binance expanded USD1 by adding trading pairs, running promotions, and increasing its share of the token. This timing led to speculation about financial links, but no proof has shown any direct agreement.

Binance has actively promoted USD1 with campaigns encouraging users to hold the token. For example, USD1 holders received rewards paid in World Liberty Financial’s WLFI token. These efforts helped make USD1 a bigger part of Binance’s ecosystem and increased its daily trading activity.

However, company representatives deny any special treatment. Binance says its listing and promotion of USD1 follow the same rules as other digital assets. World Liberty Financial also calls the promotions standard industry practice and says Binance does not influence its operations.

Last year, an Abu Dhabi-backed investment fund used USD1 in a $2 billion deal. This deal helped raise the stablecoin’s market value. Analysts noted that Binance kept the USD1 instead of redeeming it, so the reserves stayed invested in short-term U.S. Treasury instruments.

Concerns Over USD1 Concentration on Binance

Some people think Zhao may have indirectly helped Trump in return for the pardon and future support. These claims are unproven, but USD1’s concentration on Binance worries critics about political and financial risks. Binance says it treats USD1 like any other token. Still, legal issues, politics, and billions of dollars in holdings have kept USD1 and Binance in the news.

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