Crypto market maker DWF Labs is planting its flag in the United States with the opening of a new office in New York City—a move that signals the firm’s deeper commitment to the rapidly growing American digital asset market. Alongside this expansion, DWF Labs has announced a $25 million investment in governance tokens from World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a DeFi platform inspired by former U.S. President Donald J. Trump.
The newly established New York hub is a key part of DWF Labs’ broader strategy to engage more directly with U.S. regulators, academic institutions, and institutional partners. The firm plans to leverage its presence to attract local talent, strengthen industry ties, and drive forward stablecoin adoption in the region.
“The U.S. is the world’s largest single market for digital asset innovation,” said Andrei Grachev, Managing Partner at DWF Labs. “Our physical presence reflects our confidence in America’s role as the next growth region for institutional crypto adoption.”
Strategic Stake in WLFI and Stablecoin Ecosystem
As part of the expansion, DWF Labs’ $25 million purchase of WLFI governance tokens positions the firm as a key player in WLFI’s evolving DeFi ecosystem. The tokens grant DWF Labs influence over WLFI’s governance, further emphasizing its interest in projects aimed at real-world financial applications.
WLFI, which is developing the USD1 stablecoin, aims to offer fiat-referenced tools designed for institutional use. DWF Labs will support the rollout and liquidity of USD1 through its established infrastructure across both centralized and decentralized trading platforms.
“We believe that crypto is going to transform and improve global finance,” said Zak Folkman, co-founder of WLFI. “As our partner, we expect DWF Labs to help accelerate the next-generation infrastructure we’re actively building.”
Riding the Stablecoin Wave
The announcement comes amid rising institutional interest in stablecoins, which are increasingly viewed as transparent and efficient alternatives to traditional financial instruments. DWF Labs’ investment underscores a growing industry trend: deeper alignment between trading firms and DeFi protocols with real-world utility.
The expansion follows other international developments, including rising regulatory scrutiny of stablecoins in Europe and growing adoption momentum in the U.S.
