WLFI surges 10% after Apex stablecoin deal, outperforming BTC and ETH

Markets Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email WLFI surges 10% after Apex stablecoin deal, outperforming BTC and ETH The Trump-affiliated token rose on news that a $3.5 trillion asset servicer will pilot USD1, while BTC and ETH continue to trade near multi-week lows. By Sam Reynolds | Edited by Nikhilesh De Feb 19, 2026, 3:10 a.m. Make us preferred on Google What to know : WLFI, the token linked to Trump-affiliated World Liberty Financial, jumped about 10% after a $3.5 trillion asset servicer said it would pilot the firm's USD1 stablecoin as a settlement rail for tokenized funds. At a World Liberty Financial forum at Mar-a-Lago, Sen. Bernie Moreno and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong urged swift passage of a U.S. crypto market structure bill, arguing clear rules are essential for maintaining American leadership in financial innovation. World Liberty Financial co-founder Zak Folkman pitched USD1 as an institutional-grade stablecoin for real-world settlement, cross-border payments and future AI-driven commerce, with real-time on-chain proof of reserves and plans to expand beyond the U.S.-Mexico corridor to as many as 40 currencies. WLFI, the token tied to Trump-affiliated World Liberty Financial, rose roughly 10% after a $3.5 trillion asset servicer said it would test the firm’s USD1 stablecoin as a settlement rail for tokenized funds. WLFI's uptick during the Asia morning hours was higher than bitcoin or ether , which were both down 0.5%, according to CoinDesk market data. STORY CONTINUES BELOW Don't miss another story. Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today . See all newsletters Sign me up By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk products and you agree to our terms & conditions and privacy policy . The rally comes as speakers at the World Liberty Financial forum at Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday pitched stablecoins as central to U.S. financial leadership. “The reality is the entire financial system is going to look very different in the next five years than it has looked in the last 50 years,” Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) said during the event. “This will happen somewhere. We’re going to see a massive amount of innovation in financial services. The question is, will it happen in America or somewhere else?” Sen. Moreno emphasized that lawmakers must “get this market structure bill across the finish line in the next 90 days,” arguing that clear rules for digital assets are critical if the U.S. wants to lead the next phase of financial innovation rather than cede it overseas. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong also spoke about the importance of the market structure bill at the event and said banking trade groups – not individual banks themselves – are responsible for the stalled progress. World Liberty Financial co-founder Zak Folkman framed USD1 as more than a retail stablecoin, describing it as “an institutional-grade dollar” designed for real-world settlement and cross-border use. “This is what we did when we wanted to build an institutional-grade dollar,” Folkman said, adding that the token will feature “real-time proof of reserves, powered by Chainlink,” allowing users to verify backing on-chain. Earlier in February at Consensus in Hong Kong, Folkman teased an upcoming World Liberty Forex platform. On Wednesday, Folkman positioned USD1 as a bridge for global payments, saying the project would begin with the U.S.-Mexico corridor before expanding to support up to 40 currencies. “This is USD1 as a settlement bridge,” he said. Looking ahead, Folkman tied the stablecoin’s use case to artificial intelligence-driven commerce. “We’re entering a world where AI agents will need to transact autonomously,” he said. “AI agents can’t open bank accounts, they can’t sign checks, but they can hold stablecoins.” “What we’re building is a complete financial system,” Folkman added. WLFI World Liberty Financial More For You Zoomex: Precise Systems of Fairness and Transparency by Design By CoinDesk Jan 31, 2026 Commissioned by Zoomex Read full story More For You Bitcoin sinks to $66,000, U.S. stocks lose steam as Fed minutes mention possible rate hike By Krisztian Sandor | Edited by Stephen Alpher 6 hours ago Bitcoin is now on track for its fifth consecutive weekly decline, and losing this level could open the floor for a fresh leg lower. What to know : Bitcoin fell back to $66,000 on Wednesday afternoon, testing the lower end of its recent trading range. Crypto-related stocks reversed early gains, with Coinbase swinging from a 3% morning rise to a 2% loss and Strategy slipping about 3%. Surprisingly hawkish Fed minutes had the U.S.dollar strengthening, putting pressure on risk assets. Read full story Latest Crypto News South Korea’s Hanwha makes a $13 million bet on ‘seedless’ crypto wallets 2 hours ago Real estate billionaire Barry Sternlicht is ready to tokenize assets, but says U.S. regulation blocks it 4 hours ago Banking trade groups responsible for impasse on market structure bill, Brian Armstrong says 5 hours ago Bitcoin sinks to $66,000, U.S. stocks lose steam as Fed minutes mention possible rate hike 6 hours ago Sam Altman's OpenAI unveils ‘EVMbench’ to test whether AI can keep crypto’s smart contracts safe 7 hours ago Kraken continues acquisition streak by buying token management firm Magna ahead of IPO push 8 hours ago Top Stories What happens on prediction platforms can steer traditional markets, NYSE chief says 10 hours ago Goldman Sachs' David Solomon says he owns 'very little' bitcoin but watching it closely 10 hours ago Ethereum’s 50% staking milestone triggers backlash over 'misleading' supply data 9 hours ago American crypto holders are scared and confused about this year’s new IRS tax rules 13 hours ago Hyperliquid starts DeFi lobbying group with $29 million token backing 12 hours ago From 2016 hack to $150M Endowment: the DAO’s second act focuses on Ethereum security 14 hours ago