Trump Maldives Resort Goes Crypto as WLFI Opens the Door

World Liberty Financial (WLFI) partnered with real-world asset (RWA) tokenization platform Securitize to offer tokens tied to loan revenue interests in the Trump International Hotel and Resort in the Maldives. The announcement was made Wednesday, timed to coincide with a privately held crypto conference at Mar-A-Lago.

What Is WLFI Actually Tokenizing?

This is not an equity deal. Investors will not own shares in the property itself. Instead, the tokens represent interests in a development loan connected to the resort project. Buyers receive exposure to loan revenue streams, which means income distributions tied to the loan's performance and a potential share of profits if the property is sold.

This structure matters for crypto-savvy investors because it affects risk profile, return mechanics, and legal treatment. Loan-based tokenization is closer to fixed-income investing than to direct real estate ownership.

How the Token Structure Works

Eligible accredited investors can expect:

• A fixed yield on their investment
• Payments linked to the performance of the underlying loan
• Potential profit participation upon any future sale of the asset
• The ability to use token holdings as loan collateral through WLFI Markets, where permitted by law

The offering will be issued on supported public blockchains and accessible through select third-party wallets and partners.

Who Are the Partners Involved?

Three organizations are driving this deal. WLFI is handling strategy and distribution. Securitize, a regulated platform known for tokenizing assets like BlackRock's BUIDL fund, is managing issuance and compliance. DarGlobal PLC (LSE: DAR), a London-listed luxury real estate developer, is the project developer working in collaboration with the Trump Organization.

Carlos Domingo, Co-Founder and CEO of Securitize, noted that real estate has historically been difficult to tokenize at scale, citing compliance and governance as key obstacles the platform is designed to address.

What Is the Trump International Hotel and Resort, Maldives?

The resort is a DarGlobal flagship development built in collaboration with the Trump Organization. It is scheduled for completion in 2030 and is expected to include approximately 100 beach and overwater villas. Plans to tokenize the project were first mentioned publicly in November, when Eric Trump stated on CoinDesk TV that WLFI intended to tokenize a new real estate project. Wednesday's announcement clarified the mechanics and named Securitize as the issuance and compliance partner.

Is This Offering Open to the Public?

No. The tokens will be sold under U.S. private placement rules, specifically Rule 506(c) of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933. Non-U.S. participants may access the offering under Regulation S. Both routes require verified accredited investor status, meaning participants must meet income or net worth thresholds set by the SEC.

The tokens are subject to significant transfer and resale restrictions and are not registered securities. They cannot be freely traded on secondary markets without qualifying under an exemption.

How to Join the Waitlist

Interested investors can visit securitize.io/wlfi to join the waitlist. Verification of accredited investor status is required before any participation is allowed.

How Does This Fit the Broader RWA Market?

Tokenized real-world assets have attracted growing attention from institutions, but real estate remains a smaller segment. The total tokenized asset market currently sits at around $25 billion, with most activity concentrated in tokenized money market funds and short-term treasuries. Real estate tokenization has lagged due to uneven regulation across jurisdictions and thin secondary market liquidity, risks flagged in a recent EY report on the sector.

WLFI has framed this Maldives offering as the first in a broader strategy to bring multiple real-world assets on-chain under its brand.

Conclusion

The WLFI and Securitize partnership brings a concrete structure to what has largely been an idea in real estate tokenization. Accredited investors get a regulated, blockchain-based entry point into a fixed-yield loan product tied to a named luxury asset, without needing to purchase property directly. The offering is narrow in scope, restricted by investor eligibility rules, and subject to resale limitations. What it does demonstrate is that loan-based tokenization of high-profile real estate is technically and legally achievable at this scale. Whether secondary market demand and exit liquidity follow will be the real test for WLFI's broader RWA ambitions.

Resources 

1. Report by CoinDesk: Trump-linked World Liberty taps BlackRock-backed Securitize for hotel tokenization

2. Press release by World LibertyFi: World Liberty Financial to Tokenize Trump International Hotel & Resort, Maldives, in Partnership with DarGlobal and Securitize

3. Press release by Dar Global: World Liberty Financial to Tokenize Trump International Hotel & Resort, Maldives, in Partnership with DarGlobal and Securitize

4. RWA data by rwa(.)xyz