World Liberty Financial, a DeFi platform backed by the Trump family, presented a governance proposal that would require holders of unlocked WLFI tokens to stake them to vote, while offering staking rewards to those who actively participate in governance.
Under the plan introduced on February 26, WLFI holders must lock their tokens for at least 180 days to participate in the governance vote.
Participants who cast at least 2 governance votes during their lock-up period would receive an estimated annual return of 2% paid from the project treasury.
Voting power would be measured by both the size of the stake and the remaining lock-up time using a non-linear formula to limit concentration among the largest holders. The system also links staking to incentives for deposits on USD1, World Liberty’s flagship stablecoin.
The proposal also establishes Node and Super Node tiers for larger players, providing additional incentives such as access to approved market makers for 1:1 USD1 stablecoin conversions and priority partnership engagement.
To become a “node,” users must stake at least 10 million WLFI, valued at around $1 million at current prices.
These participants would have access to licensed market makers facilitating 1:1 conversions of supported stablecoins such as USDT and USDC to USD1, as well as outflows of 1 USD to US dollars.
The move would redirect arbitrage profits from institutional market makers to committed token holders, while strengthening demand for $1 and tying governance power to long-term capital commitments.
To become a “Super Node”, participants must block a minimum of 50 million WLFI. In exchange, holders would receive priority access to partnership discussions with platform executives, although commercial deals would remain subject to separate review.
The proposal will be put to a vote in seven days and must guarantee the participation of at least one billion eligible tokens to be valid.
Staking-based governance models have gained traction in decentralized financial projects, as developers seek mechanisms to align long-term incentives without relying on centralized oversight.
