Trump-Linked WLFI Futures Plummet 44% on Debut as Traders Rush to Short

Political tokens face brutal reality check as market mechanics override hype.

The Numbers Don't Lie

WLFI futures got absolutely hammered—tumbling 44% right out the gate. Traders immediately piled into short positions, betting against the Trump-connected token's viability. The debut turned into a bloodbath as sell orders overwhelmed any initial optimism.

Market Psychology Wins Again

Speculators treated this political token like any other overhyped asset—they attacked its weaknesses. The rapid shorting reveals how crypto markets now instantly price in skepticism toward celebrity-linked projects. No amount of political affiliation protects against brutal market mechanics.

Welcome to crypto—where even presidential connections can't stop traders from betting against you when the numbers look weak. Sometimes the market's verdict feels more honest than political polling.

More than $59 million in trading volume has been recorded, with $57 million in open interest, according to HyperLiquid. Open interest measures the nominal amount of open positions on a specific market.

The funding rate is also skewed to the downside at an annualized rate of -35%. When negative rates occur, traders holding short positions need to pay those holding longs, a classic bearish signal.

Negative funding rates have been rare of late in the crypto market despite major assets like BTC and ETH selling off. WLFI's negative rate demonstrates how traders believe the token is overvalued and are so confident in further downside that they are willing to pay to hold the short position.