A $5 million staking threshold that grants select investors direct contact with World Liberty Financial’s leadership team is drawing attention as the Trump-backed crypto project reshapes how power flows inside its governance structure.
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The new rule is part of a broader proposal that passed with overwhelming support last Friday, setting the stage for big changes in how decisions get made at the project.
Token Lock-Up Rule Takes Effect
WLFI token holders who want voting rights will now need to lock up their holdings for 180 days. The proposal closed with 99.12% approval from 1,800 votes cast.
But the numbers tell a more complicated story — more than 76% of those tokens came from just 10 users, raising questions about how broadly the vote actually represented the project’s community.
A 2% annual yield is offered to stakers who participate in at least two governance votes during the lock-up window. Those who already have tokens locked are not affected and may continue voting without interruption.
WLFI said the change is meant to ensure that only investors committed to the project’s future can weigh in on its direction. The six-month requirement is framed as a filter for serious, long-term participants rather than short-term speculators.
Big Stakes Come With Big Perks
Investors willing to stake 50 million WLFI tokens — valued at roughly $5 million — are being offered something beyond yield: direct access to WLFI’s executive and business development team.
WLFI spokesman David Wachsman told Reuters that the access point is the business development team and company executives, not individual founders, and that it stops short of guaranteeing any formal partnership.
Still, the tiered structure creates a clear divide between everyday token holders and those with deeper pockets.
The project’s leadership roster includes some well-known names. Eric Trump and Barron Trump are listed as co-founders in the WLFI Gold Paper, alongside Zach and Alex Witkoff, sons of Steven Witkoff. Zach Witkoff serves as CEO.
Bank Charter Bid Still Pending
Beyond governance, WLFI has broader ambitions in the financial sector. The project applied to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in January for a national trust bank charter tied to its stablecoin, USD1, and is still waiting for a ruling.
The stablecoin is central to WLFI’s goal of supporting decentralized finance applications and other projects aligned with preserving the US dollar’s global standing.
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CEO Zach Witkoff has floated plans to expand into asset tokenization, with real estate and oil and gas among the areas being explored.
Reports also indicate the project is weighing the creation of a publicly traded company to hold its WLFI tokens.
Six governance snapshot votes have been completed so far, covering issues from making the token tradable to expanding USD1’s reach. This latest proposal marks a shift toward tightening who gets a seat at the table going forward.
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