World Liberty Financial (WLFI) sued Justin Sun for defamation Monday, escalating a feud sparked when WLFI froze the Tron (TRX) founder's tokens worth roughly $240 million.
Florida Defamation Filing
The Trump-affiliated crypto venture filed the case in Florida state court, with WLFI announcing on X: "Today, we are filing a lawsuit against Justin Sun for defamation. Sun has launched a coordinated media smear campaign against World Liberty Financial and refused to stop even when confronted with the truth."
WLFI alleges Sun engaged in short-selling, straw purchases and defamation after investing $75 million in the platform in 2024.
The complaint claims Sun knew the project's contracts allowed token freezes well before WLFI took that step.
"Rather than acting in good faith, Justin Sun chose to defame World Liberty," attorney Tom Clare said, referring to posts made to millions of followers.
Sun pushed back on X: "The alleged defamation lawsuit that World Liberty announced on X today is nothing more than a meritless PR stunt. I stand by my actions and look forward to defeating the case in court."
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Backstory And Stakes
Sun sued WLFI first, in California federal court on April 21, alleging the project illegally froze around four billion WLFI tokens he values near $1 billion. He has called WLFI's freeze function a hidden backdoor.
Industry observers see the dispute as a test of how onchain governance handles disputes between large investors and project teams. The case may also draw fresh scrutiny to crypto ventures tied to political figures.
The breakup followed months of cooperation. Sun poured nearly $200 million into Trump-linked digital projects, including $100 million on the TRUMP memecoin and his initial WLFI stake. The DeFi platform launched in October 2024 and froze Sun's tokens in September 2025, after which the relationship turned hostile.
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