World Liberty Financial (WLFI) is preparing to reallocate user funds after confirming that a small number of wallets were compromised before the platform’s launch.
The team says the affected wallets were breached through phishing attacks or exposed seed phrases, not through WLFI’s own systems, contracts, or infrastructure.
The company froze compromised wallets in September, initiated KYC re-verification, and spent the past several weeks building and testing new smart-contract logic to securely migrate funds to new, user-controlled wallets. Funds will now begin moving back to verified users.
“It wasn’t a WLFI platform or smart-contract issue,” the team said. “Attackers gained access to user wallets through third-party security lapses. Still, we prioritized user safety above all else.”
Early Warning Signs Before Launch
WLFI says the issue surfaced shortly before the project went live.
A relatively small subset of user wallets showed signs of unauthorized access. The team traced the activity to phishing schemes and leaked seed phrases, not an exploit or breach of WLFI itself.
1/ Prior to WLFI’s launch, a relatively small subset of user wallets were compromised via phishing attacks or exposed seed phrases.
Since then, we’ve tested new smart contract logic to safely reallocate user funds and verified users’ identity via KYC checks.
Shortly, users who…
— WLFI (@worldlibertyfi) November 19, 2025
The attack pattern was consistent with widespread third-party wallet compromises seen elsewhere in the industry this year. Private keys were exposed through wallets unrelated to WLFI. In each case, attackers used compromised credentials to attempt unauthorized transactions.
Once WLFI identified the affected wallets, the team took immediate action.
Immediate Freeze to Contain Damage
In September, WLFI froze all wallets that showed suspicious activity.
The goal was simple: preserve funds, prevent further movement, and verify rightful ownership.
The freeze was an unusual move for a pre-launch platform, but the team said it was necessary to protect its earliest users.
“We froze impacted wallets and verified ownership to ensure a smooth transition,” WLFI noted. “User safety comes before launch timelines.”
During this period, WLFI opened a verification window. Users who believed their wallets had been compromised were asked to open a support ticket. Verified claims were then placed into a recovery queue.
Mandatory KYC Re-Verification for Compromised Wallets
To move forward safely, WLFI required every impacted user to re-complete KYC checks to confirm identity and prevent fraudulent claims.
This re-verification became a crucial step in ensuring funds went to the rightful owners, not the attackers.
Users were also asked to provide new, uncompromised wallets, which would serve as the final destination for reallocated funds.
The process took time because each report needed to be manually matched with KYC documents, ticket data, and on-chain wallet signatures. WLFI said it slowed down intentionally to maintain accuracy.
“Prioritizing the safety of funds was more important than speed,” the team said. “This verification step protects users and preserves the integrity of the platform.”
New Smart-Contract Logic Built for Secure Reallocation
While verification took place, WLFI engineers began building a new system to safely redistribute funds.
The team designed and tested new smart-contract logic capable of handling bulk fund migrations without exposing users to further risk. The contract had to meet several requirements:
- Prevent attackers from redirecting assets
- Allow migration only to wallets belonging to verified users
- Maintain an auditable on-chain trail
- Handle large, simultaneous reallocations
- Operate without disturbing unaffected user wallets
According to WLFI, the new system has now passed testing and audit phases.
“We tested new smart-contract logic to safely reallocate user funds,” the team said. “This ensures WLFI users remain protected during and after the migration process.”
Reallocation Begins for Verified Users
After months of careful preparation, WLFI says fund reallocation will begin shortly.
The process will cover all users who submitted support tickets and completed the required KYC verification steps.
Each verified user will receive their assets in a new, secure wallet that they submitted during the re-verification process. WLFI says the system is automated through its newly deployed logic but overseen manually to prevent irregular transactions.
“We’re ready to begin reallocation for all wallets that satisfied verification,” WLFI confirmed. “Users will soon see funds arriving in their new addresses.”
Wallets Without Verification Will Remain Frozen
For users who have not yet reached out, or who failed to complete KYC, WLFI says the affected wallets will remain frozen indefinitely.
The platform emphasized that it is still possible for those users to recover funds, but only after completing the required steps.
“Wallets for users who haven’t completed verification will remain frozen,” the team said. “Those users can still begin the process through our help center.”
WLFI is leaving the recovery mechanism open-ended to make sure late-reporting users can still access support.
Incident Origin: Third-Party Security Failures
Throughout the update, WLFI reinforced a key point:
The compromise had nothing to do with WLFI’s platform, backend, or smart contracts.
Attackers accessed funds because:
- Users were targeted with phishing links
- Private keys were exposed
- Seed phrases were compromised via non-WLFI services
- Wallet providers suffered isolated security issues
WLFI stressed that no exploit occurred within its infrastructure.
“This was not a WLFI platform or contract issue,” the team said. “Attackers exploited third-party vulnerabilities, not our systems.”
A Controlled and Transparent Response
WLFI’s handling of the incident stands out in a year filled with high-profile DeFi breaches.
Rather than dismissing user concerns or pushing ahead with launch plans, the team paused operations, froze affected wallets, and reconstructed its fund allocation system from scratch.
The company says the episode reinforced its commitment to transparency, regulation, and user protection.
“Even with issues caused by external vulnerabilities, we prioritized the security of our users while meeting regulatory requirements,” WLFI said.
Building Momentum After a Difficult Start
With the verification cycle closing and reallocation beginning, WLFI says it is ready to move forward and continue building out its platform. The team thanked users who stayed patient through the delays.
“We’re proud to protect our community, and ready to keep building,” the update concluded.
For now, the focus is on completing the final phase of wallet migrations and ensuring every verified user receives their reallocated funds safely.
Disclosure: This is not trading or investment advice. Always do your research before buying any cryptocurrency or investing in any services.
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