UFC Freedom 250 distributed fighter bonuses in USD1, a stablecoin issued by the Trump-linked crypto firm World Liberty Financial, during a White House event.
USD1, created by the Trump family-associated World Liberty Financial, has evolved from being linked to restrictions in a DeFi lending pool to serving as the payout currency for fighters at a White House lawn event.
The UFC confirmed on Friday that World Liberty Financial would sponsor a $250,000 performance bonus pool at UFC Freedom 250, a mixed martial arts card held on the South Lawn of the presidential residence on June 14, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday. Fighters across seven bouts were paid in USD1.
The payout marks one of the most high-profile real-world uses of the USD1 stablecoin so far.
The promotional push follows earlier reporting from CoinDesk on borrowing activity that briefly affected sentiment around WLFI, World Liberty Financial’s governance token.
In that case, the firm borrowed more than $75 million in stablecoins from the DeFi protocol Dolomite, whose co-founder Corey Caplan also advises WLFI. The loan was backed by 3 billion WLFI governance tokens and included USD1 deposits, which helped push the lending pool to high utilization levels.
At one point, utilization reached 93%, temporarily restricting withdrawals for retail lenders. WLFI later repaid $25 million and then minted an additional $25 million in USD1 days later, actively managing supply during April. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
World Liberty Financial is also involved in legal disputes with crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun, who alleges his WLFI holdings were improperly frozen, while WLFI has countersued for defamation.
Some analysts say the UFC activation is more symbolic than financial in impact.
“Paying fighters in USD1 is economically equivalent to paying cash,” said Todd Phillips of the Klaros Group. “The real significance is promotional—it signals USD1’s presence in a high-visibility UFC and White House setting.”
USD1’s circulating supply has increased to roughly $4.6 billion, up from $3.3 billion at the start of the year.
The project has also applied for a banking license from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
According to public disclosures, President Trump holds more than $50 million tied to World Liberty Financial. The administration says there is no conflict of interest, stating that his assets are managed through a trust overseen by his children.
