UFC fighters paid USD1 stablecoin at the White House UFC Freedom 250 event. They received a total of $250K in performance bonuses issued by the Trump family’s crypto firm, World Liberty Financial (WLFI).
This comes despite growing scrutiny on the stablecoin and conflicts of interest.
Why UFC fighters paid USD1 stablecoin matters
The White House hosted UFC Freedom 250 fight night on President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday. UFC announced WLFI as the official partner of the event.
WLFI revealed a $250K Performance of the Night bonus pool. Consequently, UFC athletes selected for standout performances will receive these awards. The official broadcast also confirmed that UFC fighters will be paid in USD1 stablecoin from the Trump family’s crypto company. Notably, these bonuses were paid entirely in USD1.
Therefore, this turned out to be a major marketing event for the stablecoin.
Key executives comment on the move
Zach Witkoff, co‑founder and CEO of World Liberty Financial, said: “A victory in Washington should mean money in your pocket immediately, not when the bank opens.” He pointed out that USD1 makes U.S. dollars more accessible and faster. “We’re excited to partner with UFC, which has done more than any organization to modernize the business of sports,” he added.
Significant market cap boost
The WLFI’s $250K pool is separate from a $1 million bonus pool denominated in Crypto.com’s CRO token. Nevertheless, it helped boost the market cap for both USD1 and the WLFI token.
For example, USD1 stablecoin’s market cap increased by more than 1% to $4.41 billion. Trading volume also increased by 30% over the past 24 hours. This came despite rising scrutiny on USD1. Recently, Justin Sun’s HTX delisted USD1 amid ongoing disputes.
Meanwhile, the WLFI token jumped 6% in the past 24 hours. Its price currently trades at $0.0604. The 24‑hour range is $0.0578 to $0.0617. Furthermore, trading volume increased by 82% in the last 24 hours amid a rise in Bitcoin price and the broader crypto market.