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rump International Hotel Maldives, a joint venture between the Trump Organization and Saudi developer Dar Global, will be tokenized, allowing investors to buy digital shares in the project from its earliest stages. The resort, scheduled to open by the end of 2028, is located about 25 minutes by speedboat from Malé and will comprise 80 beach and overwater villas designed to attract high‑net‑worth travelers. Eric Trump, executive vice‑president of the Trump Organization, announced that the development “sets a new benchmark for innovation in real‑estate investment through tokenization.” The news follows Eric Trump’s recent interview on CoinDesk TV, where he confirmed plans to tokenize a building via the WLFI token, priced at $0.1470. WLFI is a crypto platform closely tied to the Trump family, and the tokenization strategy will enable fractional ownership of the resort’s equity, giving investors a direct stake in the property’s performance.
Tokenization has gained traction in recent years as financial institutions adopt blockchain technology to transfer and record ownership of traditional assets such as funds, bonds, credit instruments and stocks. Real‑estate tokenization is projected to become a key financing, ownership and trading mechanism, with a Deloitte Center for Financial Services report estimating a $4 trillion market by 2035. The report notes that tokenized real‑estate can lower entry barriers, increase liquidity, and provide transparent, immutable records of ownership. However, EY’s earlier report cautions that the sector still faces regulatory uncertainty, liquidity constraints and security vulnerabilities that could affect investor confidence.
Dar Global, a Saudi developer with a portfolio of luxury projects across the Middle East, will collaborate closely with the Trump Organization to deliver the resort’s construction and tokenization framework. The partnership leverages Dar Global’s local market expertise and the Trump Organization’s brand recognition to create a destination that appeals to both luxury travelers and institutional investors seeking exposure to the Maldives’ growing tourism sector.
The tokenization process will involve issuing digital shares that represent a proportionate ownership stake in the resort’s equity. Investors can purchase these shares on a blockchain‑based platform, enabling real‑time trading and secondary market liquidity. The digital shares will be backed by the underlying real‑estate asset, providing a tangible claim on the resort’s revenue streams and appreciation potential. By offering fractional ownership, the project aims to broaden access to a high‑value asset that would otherwise be out of reach for many investors.
While the initiative promises increased transparency and liquidity, it also raises questions about regulatory compliance, especially in jurisdictions with evolving crypto‑asset frameworks. The Trump Organization and Dar Global have indicated that they will work with legal and regulatory experts to ensure full compliance with local and international securities laws. They also plan to implement robust security protocols to protect investors’ digital assets from cyber threats.
Overall, the Trump International Hotel Maldives tokenization marks a significant step toward mainstreaming digital asset ownership in the real‑estate sector. By combining a luxury resort with blockchain technology, the project seeks to attract a new class of investors while setting a precedent for future real‑estate developments that embrace tokenization as a core financing strategy.
