On May 16, 2025, the blockchain data monitoring platform Onchain Lens disclosed a blockbuster news: the decentralized finance (DeFi) project World Liberty Financial (WLFI) endorsed by the Trump family purchased 3.63 million EOS at a price of 0.825 US dollars per token with 3 million USDT (approximately 3 million US dollars) just 10 minutes ago. Some exclaimed, ‘The Trump family is making big moves again, is EOS going to take off?’ While others sneered, ‘It’s just another round of speculation.’

This transaction is not an isolated incident. Just over a month ago on April 1st, the crypto market was in turmoil, with altcoins plummeting by 20%-50%, yet EOS surged over 30% as the ‘Web3 bank’ Vaulta, breaking through the $0.8 mark. Now, WLFI’s high-profile entry has added fuel to the narrative of EOS’s recovery. What exactly has caused this veteran blockchain ‘stallion’ to repeatedly make waves in the trough? Why did WLFI choose EOS as the investment target? Let’s trace the ups and downs of EOS, dissect the transformation logic of Vaulta, and explore the deeper meaning behind this $3 million transaction.

The turbulent seven years of EOS: from ICO frenzy to lingering in the trough

The story of EOS began in 2017, a time when the cryptocurrency market was booming. Amid the excitement of Bitcoin breaking $10,000, EOS entered the market with promises of ‘millions of TPS (transactions per second)’ and ‘zero transaction fees’. Founder Dan Larimer was hailed as a ‘tech prophet’, and Block.one company raised an exaggerated $4.2 billion through a year-long ICO, setting the most extravagant fundraising record in blockchain history. In the spring of 2018, EOS price surged from $5 to $23, briefly entering the top five in market capitalization. The election of 21 super nodes was in full swing, the community was passionate and enthusiastic, as if the future of blockchain had been rewritten.

However, the grand occasion was short-lived. The DPoS (Delegated Proof of Stake) mechanism of EOS has improved transaction efficiency, but it has been criticized for its high centralization. 21 nodes are controlled by exchanges, individual voting is virtually meaningless, and the on-chain arbitration institution’s drama of freezing accounts has caused trust to collapse. Technically, the claim of ‘millions of TPS’ has become a joke, with a peak of just over 4,000 transactions per second after the mainnet launch, far below the advertised target. The RAM and CPU resource model is complex, the cost of transfers is high, and the developer experience is a disaster. By 2022, the EOS DApp ecosystem is almost withering, with less than 50,000 active users, a total value locked (TVL) of only $174 million, pale in comparison to Ethereum ($60 billion) and Solana ($12 billion).

Block.one’s actions have further dampened the community’s hopes. $4.2 billion of ICO funds were invested in assets such as Bitcoin (currently holding 160,000 BTC, worth about $16 billion), U.S. Treasury bonds, and had little to do with the EOS ecosystem. In 2019, Block.one was fined $24 million by the SEC for non-compliant ICOs, but did not provide substantial compensation to the community. On the X platform, the community angrily joked: “Block.one is not a blockchain company, it is the Buffett of the crypto world.” “EOS’s market capitalization has fallen from $18 billion to less than $800 million by 2025, slipping outside the top 100, and the former “Ethereum killer” has been relegated to the edge of the market.

Vaulta’s Transformation: Ambition and Controversy of Web3 Bank

Just as EOS seemed to be heading towards the end, the community’s counterattack brought a turning point. In 2021, the EOS Foundation (ENF) took over the project under the leadership of Yves La Rose, marginalizing Block.one with 17 nodes, and embarked on the road to self-rescue. On March 18, 2025, EOS announced its renaming to Vaulta, positioning itself as a “Web3 banking operating system,” aiming to reshape wealth management, consumer payments, investment portfolios, and insurance through blockchain. This transformation not only led EOS to rise against the trend in the bear market on April 1, with a 30% increase in price exceeding $0.8, but also laid the foundation for WLFI’s investment.

Vaulta’s core architecture inherits EOS’s C++ smart contracts and decentralized RAM database, supplemented by cross-chain interoperability (IBC), trying to connect traditional finance with DeFi. ENF injects vitality into the ecosystem through a series of innovations:

• The Rebirth of the RAM Market: EOS’s RAM, due to its scarcity, has become the invisible backbone of the ecosystem. Vaulta has optimized resource allocation and introduced the XRAM mechanism, allowing users to pledge tokens for RAM and share Gas fees priced in BTC. As of March 2025, RAM demand has surged due to the growth of new projects, with some users earning substantial BTC dividends through XRAM pledges. Some people even jokingly say on the X platform: ‘RAM is more like an asset than EOS coin.’
• exSat’s Bitcoin narrative: The exSat project launched in 2024 stores Bitcoin UTXO data in EOS RAM, aiming to improve BTC transaction speed and support DeFi applications. As of March 2025, exSat has locked 5413 BTC, with a TVL of $587 million, far exceeding the $174 million of the EOS mainnet, becoming the ecosystem’s “new engine.” However, the technical stability and compliance of exSat are still questionable, and the community doubts whether it is just “drawing a big picture” for BTC.
• 1DEX and RWA layout: 1DEX is Vaulta’s decentralized exchange, attempting to fill the gaps in DeFi. However, insufficient EVM compatibility and lack of documentation have led to criticism of it being a “work in progress.” Vaulta also plans to offer investment opportunities in real-world assets (RWA) such as real estate and stocks through tokenization to attract institutional funds.

The transformation of Vaulta has triggered polarized reactions. Optimists believe that Web3 banking is in line with the compliance trend of the encryption market, and the innovation of RAM and exSat has injected new vitality into EOS; pessimists question whether Vaulta’s technical foundation can compete with Ethereum and Solana, and the transformation blueprint may just be a “change of name to cut leeks.” On the X platform, some people joked, “From Ethereum killer to Bitcoin’s little brother, and now wanting to be a bank teller, EOS is truly a versatile chain.”

Why is WLFI betting on EOS? The intertwining of strategy and speculation

WLFI purchased 3 million USDT to acquire 3.63 million EOS, a transaction that occurred amidst the frenzy of Vaulta’s transformation, combining its DeFi strategy and the brand effect of the Trump family, this decision involves multiple considerations.

First of all, Vaulta’s technical features align well with WLFI’s USD1 stablecoin. USD1 aims to provide low-cost, efficient DeFi services, and Vaulta’s high throughput (1 block per second), almost zero transaction fees, and EVM compatibility make it an ideal operating platform. Compared to Ethereum’s high Gas fees and Solana’s network fluctuations, Vaulta’s stability supports cross-chain transactions and liquidity pools for USD1. Vaulta’s RAM market also provides efficient solutions for USD1’s smart contracts and data storage. On the X platform, analysts speculate that WLFI may plan to deploy lending or payment protocols related to USD1 on exSat to expand the use cases of stablecoins.

Second, the low valuation of EOS provides speculative opportunities. In May 2025, the EOS price is around $0.825, which is at an all-time low and has a low price-to-earnings ratio. The 30% rally triggered by Vaulta’s transformation and exSat’s TVL growth ($587 million) injected upward momentum into EOS, with WLFI trading in line with the market, indicating a cautious positioning through open markets or over-the-counter trading. If Vaulta’s Web3 banking narrative continues to ferment, EOS could return to $1.4 or even higher, delivering significant returns. The brand effect of the Trump family has further amplified the market influence of this investment, similar to the EOS “bailout” market in 2018, and users on the X platform have predicted: “The entry of WLFI may ignite retail FOMO, and EOS may rush to $1 in the short term.” ”

In addition, Vaulta’s exSat and RWA plans provide ecological synergy opportunities for WLFI. exSat supports Bitcoin DeFi through EOS RAM, aligning with the cross-chain target of USD1; RWA’s real estate and stock tokenization provide entry points for WLFI’s wealth management strategy. WLFI may obtain preferential subscription rights to RWA by investing in EOS, or cooperate with Vaulta to develop new products. WLFI’s recent $2 billion deal with Abu Dhabi investment company MGX also demonstrates its search for partners globally, and Vaulta’s international community may provide emerging market opportunities.

The policy background of Trump’s second term (starting in 2025) has boosted confidence in WLFI investments. Legislation promoting stablecoins by the Trump administration (such as the GENIUS Act) and the ‘Strategic Cryptocurrency Reserve’ plan may create a favorable environment for Vaulta’s Web3 banking model. As the flagship project of the Trump family, WLFI’s investment in EOS not only strengthens its market layout but also reinforces the brand image of ‘Made in America’ blockchain through Vaulta’s transformation narrative. On the X platform, a user commented: ‘Buying EOS with WLFI is like Trump endorsing Vaulta, a dual signal of politics and the market.’

Market Impact and Concerns

WLFI’s investment in EOS may trigger a short-term market frenzy. Although the trading volume of 3 million USDT is not huge, the attention from the Trump family may push EOS to $1.0-1.4, amplifying trading volume and FOMO sentiment. In the long term, if WLFI and Vaulta achieve deep cooperation in the USD1, exSat, or RWA fields, it may inject new vitality into the EOS ecosystem, attracting developers and users back. However, the challenges of Vaulta’s landing (technical stability, compliance) and competitive pressures (Ethereum, Solana) are unavoidable. The historical burden of EOS (Block.one’s trust crisis) and the controversy over WLFI’s conflicting interests (family profit of about $400 million) may also trigger regulatory scrutiny, increasing investment risks.

For investors, the undervaluation of EOS and the narrative of Vaulta provide short-term speculative opportunities, while the BTC dividends of XRAM and the growth of exSat add highlights to the ecosystem. However, caution is needed for long-term prospects, and the reshaping of Vaulta’s execution capabilities and market trust will be key.

Conclusion

The seven years of EOS, from the glory of the $4.2 billion ICO to the 90% market value decline, is a history of rise and fall in the blockchain era. The transformation of Vaulta’s Web3 bank injects new life into this ‘old horse,’ and innovations in the RAM market, exSat, and RWA allow EOS to rise against the market trend in the bear market of 2025. WLFI’s $3 million purchase of EOS is not only a recognition of Vaulta’s technological potential but also a high-profile move by the Trump family in the crypto market. This investment may drive short-term gains for EOS and pave the way for the expansion of the USD1 ecosystem, but its long-term success depends on Vaulta’s implementation capabilities and trust rebuilding.

The cryptocurrency circle has never lacked drama. EOS, the once “Ethereum killer,” now returns to the stage as Vaulta, and the entry of WLFI is like a signal flare, igniting the market’s imagination. Will the endpoint be the revival of Web3 banking, or another echo of speculation? Time will reveal the answer. As for investors, facing this “old horse,” whether to follow the trend or keep rational may require a strong enough heart.

Statement:

1. This article is reproduced from [MarsBit]，copyright belongs to the original author [Luke, Mars Finance]，如对转载有异议，请联系 Gate Learn TeamThe team will process it as soon as possible according to the relevant procedures.
2. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not constitute any investment advice.
3. Other language versions of the article are translated by the Gate Learn team, if not mentionedGateUnder no circumstances may translated articles be copied, distributed, or plagiarized.