A governance vote that took place this week has upset many WLFI holders. Some feel they have been left out while a small group pushed the plan forward. The divide is strong online and chain.
Locked Tokens Leave Many People Speechless
Reports indicate that around 80% of WLFI tokens sold to investors remain locked, meaning most holders were unable to participate in the cash transfer vote.
This gap in access to voting has become the subject of criticism. People who bought early and still can’t redeem their tokens say it’s unfair for the project to spend community assets without broad participation.
Social media posts and discussion threads show growing calls for a clear unlock plan and more transparent governance rules.
Concentrated votes from a few portfolios
Data from voting and media coverage indicate that a small number of addresses weighed heavily in the decision. Reports indicate that the top nine wallets controlled almost 60% of the voting rights, and that one large address alone held a significant share.
The governance proposal to use part of the released cash to encourage the adoption of USD1 was adopted with 77.75% of the votes in favor.
This happened because the community showed up, evaluated the proposal, and made a clear decision on the direction of the WLFI ecosystem.…
– WLFI (@worldlibertyfi) January 4, 2026
At the same time, the official vote tally released by the project shows that the proposal passed with strong support among those who could vote.
According to a public update, approximately 77.75% of the votes cast were in favor. This result has failed to calm critics who point to the issue of locked tokens as the root cause of the dispute.
What would the proposal be used for with the funds?
The approved plan allows a slice of the released WLFI treasury to be used to support 1 USD, the project’s stablecoin. The proposal’s language and the project’s governance page indicate that the allocation would not exceed 5% of Treasury assets released.
Supporters argue that these incentives and partnerships could help USD1 gain more use and grow its business on the network.
Opponents worry about spending before resolving token access and governance fairness. Some also point to past price fluctuations after a partial unlock as a reason to slow Treasury spending.
I haven’t seen anyone talk about it yet, which is why I wanted to bring up an alarming vote this month on the governance of World Liberty Fi that appears to be the start of a slow extraction of value from WLFI holders by the team:
What you see above appears to be a rigged vote, where the… pic.twitter.com/CGsj7vVUUk
– DeFi^2 (@DefiSquared) January 20, 2026
Pressure on leadership and next steps
The controversy put pressure on the team to respond. Calls for a clear timetable to unlock the remaining tokens are widespread.
There are also calls for a review of voting rules so that major economic decisions benefit from broader support from holders who are affected by the results.
Trump family connection to WLFI
US President Donald Trump and members of his family have previously been linked to WLFI through investment and advisory roles.
Reports say their involvement has brought more media attention to the project, with some observers questioning whether high-level ties influence governance decisions and cash allocations.
Their connection adds another level of scrutiny as the controversy over locked tokens and concentrated voting continues.
Featured image by Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times, chart by TradingView
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