The governance proposal around World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a project linked to the Trump family, has moved into a formal community vote after triggering a visible crypto-market reaction. The measure would lock more than 62 billion WLFI tokens held by early investors and insiders for two years, followed by a staged release over a subsequent two to three years. The vote opened on Wednesday and is set to run through May 7, with early data showing overwhelming support but sparking a heated debate within the community about long-term tokenomics and governance control.

According to the proposal, 62,282,252,205 WLFI tokens would be subjected to a multi-year vesting schedule designed to keep a large portion of supply off the market for an extended period. The structure calls for a two-year cliff for early holders, after which a two-year linear vesting would release tokens gradually. For insiders such as founders, team members and advisers, the plan envisions a two-year cliff followed by a three-year linear vest. The intention, as described by World Liberty Financial, is to ensure token holders remain committed to the project’s long-term trajectory and to provide a more bounded picture of governance preferences.

As voting commenced, WLFI supporters appeared to outnumber critics by a wide margin. At the time of reporting, the tally showed about 6 billion votes in favor versus roughly 3.2 million against, with the voting quorum of 1 billion WLFI tokens already met. World Liberty Financial highlighted the governance move as a pivotal moment in the project’s history, asserting that none of the locked tokens would touch the market for at least two years if the proposal passes. The stance was echoed on the project’s official X (formerly Twitter) account.

Key takeaways

• Locking 62.28 billion WLFI tokens held by early investors and insiders under a two-year cliff, then releasing over two to three years.
• Insiders face a two-year cliff with a three-year linear vest; early investors face a two-year cliff with a two-year linear vest.
• The live vote shows overwhelming support (about 6 billion in favor vs. 3.2 million against) with the quorum already reached; voting continues through May 7.
• WLFI price activity reflects market skepticism around multi-year vesting, with the token trading around $0.06367 and showing a notable decline in recent days.

Governance mechanics and tokenomics at stake

The proposed schedule targets a gradualized unlock that shifts the token’s liquidity dynamic away from immediate market exposure. Proponents argue the structure helps align governance incentives with long-term project success, ensuring that those with a material stake remain vested in WLFI’s ongoing development. The two-year cliff for all participants, followed by staged releases, is meant to produce a predictable supply trajectory rather than the abrupt changes typical of abrupt unlock events.

Critics, however, have raised questions about both the underlying logic and practical effects. Observers have pointed to the length of the vesting windows and the potential for a prolonged liquidity constraint to distort price discovery or constrain market-making activity. The broader governance conversation also touches on whether the mechanism adequately captures the diverse interests of holders who may not participate in voting yet would be affected by the lockup.

The debate has been fueled by comments from notable crypto figures. Earlier coverage highlighted commentary from Moonrock Capital founder Simon Dedic, who described the proposal as akin to a rug pull and questioned the alignment of a two-year unlock with political timelines. Justin Sun, a WLFI stakeholder and founder of the Tron network, labeled the proposal among the most “absurd” he has seen. Those criticisms were echoed in the public replies to World Liberty Financial’s vote announcement, where many community members criticized the structure and its perceived centralization of control.

World Liberty Financial has defended the plan as a way to promote clear governance preferences and to keep token ownership among those genuinely committed to the project’s long-term success. In posts accompanying the vote launch, the team framed the mechanism as a deliberate attempt to reduce speculative activity and to anchor decision-making among core supporters rather than transient participants.

Market reception and investor considerations

Market reaction to the unfolding governance vote has been prominent. Data from CoinGecko at the time of writing places WLFI around $0.06367, reflecting a roughly 13.6% drop in the previous 24 hours and a broader decline of about 72.8% from its open-market level. The price action underscores the sensitivity of WLFI to news around tokenomics and governance, where a major change to supply and vesting can influence short-term sentiment as investors reassess risk and liquidity implications.

Those tracking WLFI’s trajectory will be watching how the market prices in the implications of a long-term token lock. If the proposal passes, the restricted supply could support a longer-duration price stabilization argument, though actual liquidity will depend on secondary-market dynamics, the pace of vesting, and how quickly counterbalancing investor activity returns to the market. If the proposal fails, WLFI could face renewed questions about governance efficacy and the distribution of control among early holders, insiders, and broader token holders.

Cointelegraph has reached out to World Liberty Financial for comment on the current vote and the broader governance framework. The initiative also reflects a wider conversation in the crypto space about how to balance founder and investor incentives with open, inclusive governance that can withstand scrutiny from a diverse set of stakeholders.

For readers seeking more context, related coverage has explored how other major industry players are navigating governance and token unlocks, and how these decisions impact investor confidence and platform adoption. The broader narrative around regulatory clarity, governance design, and long-horizon token economics continues to shape sentiment across communities tracking WLFI and similar projects.

As the vote unfolds, observers should monitor not only the final tally but also how the WLFI community discusses and interprets the proposed constraints on liquidity and the implications for future governance proposals. The outcome could influence how WLFI approaches future token economics and whether similar governance structures become a template for other projects seeking to anchor long-term commitment among core stakeholders.

Source: World Liberty Financial via its X post and the coverage from Cointelegraph. The live voting and related details are documented in the project’s governance portal and official communications noted in the cited coverage.

Readers are encouraged to verify developments as the May 7 voting deadline approaches and to consider how such governance models may shape investor risk, participation incentives, and the broader market’s appetite for long-term, locked-token strategies.

DOGE$0.1062 traders are taking risks, sending the token’s price sharply higher, even as the rally in market leader bitcoin BTC$75,735.40 stalls.

It’s evident in the futures market where open interest in DOGE futures has risen to 15.36 billion tokens, the highest level this year, according to Coinglass. Open interest (OI) refers to the number of active contracts at any given time.

The upswing in open interest suggests more traders are chasing leveraged directional plays, a sign of strong risk sentiment in the market.

DOGE’s price has climbed nearly 10% over the past week, briefly pushing above 11 cents before settling near $0.105 as of writing, according to data source CoinDesk. Bitcoin, meanwhile, has pulled back below $76,000 after trading above $79,000 earlier this week.

The combination of rising spot price and futures OI suggests that new money is entering the market rather than old positions being closed. The pattern is said to reinforce the prevailing market trend, which is bullish, in DOGE’s case. However, it also leaves the market more exposed to sharp liquidations if momentum reverses.

Binance accounted for nearly 3.99 billion DOGE in open interest, followed by Bitget, Bybit, and OKX, each with more than 1 billion DOGE, data shows. Hyperliquid, MEXC, WhiteBIT, and KuCoin also showed sizable positions, pointing to a move not confined to a single venue.

DOGE’s rally comes after weeks of sideways trading and a broader return of speculative interest across majors earlier in the week.

Market observers such as Jordan Jefferson, founder of DogeOS and MyDoge, said in a message to CoinDesk that several catalysts may be contributing to demand for the token.

“DOGE’s price move isn’t tied to a single news event,” Jefferson said. “Over the past week, large holders added more than 500 million DOGE. 21Shares listed a physically backed ETP on Xetra, and Grayscale flows turned positive after nine straight days of outflows. On-chain activity is also up, with active addresses rising 28%.”

Those flows matter because DOGE’s market structure tends to respond quickly when spot accumulation, derivatives leverage, and retail narratives align.

The token has historically traded less like a payments asset and more like an attention-driven macro meme, where positioning can accelerate fast once traders believe a familiar catalyst is back in play.

The X payments angle remains a swing factor, but the least concrete part of the DOGE trade. Elon Musk has said that X Money will launch as a payments product with peer-to-peer transfers, bank deposits, a debit card and cashback rewards through X Payments, a licensed subsidiary partnered with Visa.

Nothing in the announced product indicates support for dogecoin or any crypto functionality. Still, DOGE traders could be reacting to the payments-related developments at Musk-owned companies, possibly in hopes that the token could eventually be folded into X’s financial stack. This hope comes from Musk’s vocal support for dogecoin since at least 2021. At one point, he said the token could make DeFi more accessible to everyone.

For now, traders are treating DOGE as if something bigger is building, and the futures market is where that conviction is showing first.

• White House Budget 2026 proposes applying wash sale rules to crypto, closing a loophole unavailable to equity traders
• Treasury estimates the change generates $5.4 billion in revenue over 10 years
• A 30% Mining Tax on electricity costs targets proof-of-work operations directly
• FATCA reporting would extend to foreign crypto accounts over $50,000
• The proposal faces a difficult legislative path in a Congress that has been moving toward pro-crypto regulation

World Liberty Financial’s proposal to unlock 62 billion WLFI tokens is already set to pass, with early votes blowing past quorum and delivering near-unanimous support.

Under the plan, founders, team members, and partners would burn 10% of their holdings, roughly 4.5 billion WLFI, to begin unlocking the remaining 40.7 billion tokens over a five-year schedule following a two-year cliff.

No tokens would reach the market for at least two years due to cliff periods. The shift marks a structural change in how WLFI is valued, replacing open-ended lockups with predictable future supply and creating a clearer exit path for holders who previously had none.

This move seems to have near-unanimous support, with 99.5% voting in favor.

The vote also highlights the structure of WLFI’s governance.

Participation levels align with prior proposals, suggesting that a relatively small group of large holders can push through major tokenomic changes with limited opposition.

Voting power is heavily concentrated among a small group of large holders. The largest wallet alone accounts for nearly 13% of votes cast, and the top four together control roughly 40% of total voting power so far, enough to heavily influence the outcome on their own.

WLFI also faces a lawsuit from Tron founder Justin Sun, who alleges the project froze his tokens and stripped his governance rights, claims the company has denied.

Key Highlights

• Bitcoin decreased 2.1% to reach $75,633 while Brent crude oil surged 7.1% to $126.41 per barrel, marking a four-year peak
• Military briefings regarding potential U.S. operations against Iran sparked the energy price rally and triggered risk-averse trading
• Leading altcoins including Ether, XRP, Solana, and BNB recorded losses; Dogecoin bucked the trend with a 3.8% increase
• Nasdaq 100 futures reversed a 1.1% gain despite positive results from Alphabet and Amazon; Meta shares declined 6%
• Market experts suggest Bitcoin requires crude prices below $100 and reduced Middle East conflict before testing $80,000

Digital currencies experienced widespread declines on Thursday as petroleum prices climbed to levels not seen in four years, fueled by emerging reports of possible U.S. military engagement with Iran.

Brent crude oil experienced a sharp 7.1% increase to $126.41 per barrel following an Axios report indicating President Donald Trump would receive briefings on updated military strategies concerning Iran. Additionally, reports suggest U.S. Central Command has requested the deployment of hypersonic missile systems to the Middle East region.

The strategically vital Strait of Hormuz has remained essentially blocked since hostilities commenced in late February. This closure has severely restricted the transportation of crude oil, natural gas, and oil products through this critical global shipping corridor.

Brent crude has now appreciated more than 100% year-to-date and continues a nine-consecutive-day advance, representing its longest winning streak since May 2022.

Bitcoin experienced a 2.1% decline to $75,633 during Asian market sessions. The cryptocurrency is down 3% for the week and remains approximately $50,000 below its record high of $126,000 established in October 2025.

During April, Bitcoin has consolidated within a $74,000 to $78,000 range, despite oil prices ascending from $98 to $126 per barrel.

Alternative Cryptocurrencies Face Broad Selling Pressure

Ether decreased 3.4% to $2,244, recording a 4.4% weekly decline. XRP retreated 2.1% to $1.37. Solana dropped 2.6% to $82.62, while BNB declined 1.9% to $615.

Dogecoin emerged as the sole top-10 cryptocurrency excluding stablecoins to register gains, climbing 3.8% daily and 10.1% weekly to reach $0.10.

Fernando Lillo, director at cryptocurrency exchange Zoomex, indicated that Bitcoin’s ability to surpass $80,000 hinges on the reduction of war-related market premiums. He emphasized that Brent crude falling beneath $100 per barrel would be necessary, noting the direct correlation between the two assets.

Lillo further described a potential scenario in which the Trump administration might ease the Iran blockade, positioning it as recognition of constructive Iranian actions, which he suggested could propel Bitcoin toward $85,000.

Technology Sector Results Generate Divergent Market Reactions

U.S. equity futures displayed mixed performance on Thursday. S&P 500 futures advanced 0.2%, while Nasdaq 100 futures declined 0.2% and Dow futures dropped 0.6%.

Meta shares tumbled nearly 6% following the disclosure of lower-than-anticipated capital expenditure projections and modest user growth figures. Microsoft shares remained relatively unchanged despite surpassing revenue and earnings expectations.

Alphabet climbed 6% on robust revenue performance and strong Google Cloud expansion. Amazon advanced 4% supported by impressive cloud computing metrics.

Apple is scheduled to announce earnings results following Thursday’s market closure.

The Federal Reserve maintained interest rates unchanged within the 3.5% to 3.75% target range. Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated his intention to continue beyond his current term, referencing ongoing legal challenges confronting the central bank.

XRP has seen a sharp rise in bullish social sentiment after Rakuten Wallet launched new XRP features in Japan. 

The update allows users to convert Rakuten loyalty points into XRP and use the asset for payments. Rakuten Wallet has launched XRP spot trading and payment features for users in Japan. The update allows customers to convert Rakuten loyalty points into XRP through the mobile app.

Users can also use XRP for payments at more than 5 million merchant locations across Japan. Payments are made through QR codes linked to Rakuten’s wider retail network.

XRP gains exposure to Rakuten users

RippleX described the launch as one of the largest retail deployments of XRP to date. Rakuten Pay has about 44 million active users, giving XRP access to a large consumer base.

The Rakuten ecosystem also has more than 3 trillion loyalty points in circulation. That equals about $23 billion in points that can now be converted into XRP.

Santiment reports rising XRP sentiment

Santiment said XRP is now seeing its second-highest bullish sentiment across social media in two years. The platform linked the rise partly to the Rakuten integration.

Santiment said these events do not often cause instant price breakouts. It added that price effects may appear after early excitement and FOMO cool down.

Despite the adoption news, XRP traded at $1.37 at the time of reporting. The token fell 1.77% in 24 hours and 3.66% over the past week.

XRP has a market cap of about $84.42 billion, with 62 billion tokens in circulation. Santiment noted that XRP’s market value has declined about 55% over the past nine months.

Rakuten Wallet is also running a promotion for early users. Customers who buy 30,000 yen or more in XRP can receive 500 yen worth of XRP, while those buying 100,000 yen or more can receive 1,500 yen.

Key Takeaways

• The Federal Reserve maintained interest rates at 3.50%–3.75% for its fourth consecutive policy meeting
• Four FOMC members dissented: one advocated for a 25-basis-point reduction, while three pushed to eliminate dovish language
• Powell’s chairmanship concludes May 15; this meeting marked his probable final session
• Kevin Warsh successfully passed the Senate Banking Committee review and is positioned to succeed Powell
• Bitcoin retreated to levels just under $76,000 while the Nasdaq declined 0.35% after the announcement

The Federal Reserve opted to maintain its key interest rate in the 3.50%–3.75% range during Wednesday’s policy meeting, marking the fourth straight session without adjustment.

Policymakers emphasized their focus on balancing stubborn inflationary pressures against emerging indicators of economic deceleration. The committee’s official statement noted it will “carefully assess incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks” prior to implementing any policy shifts.

The rate decision produced four dissenting votes. Fed Governor Stephen Mirran advocated for a 25-basis-point rate reduction.

The remaining three dissenters—Beth Hammack, Neel Kashkari, and Lorie Logan—supported maintaining current rates but opposed keeping forward guidance that hints at potential cuts. This dynamic creates challenges for incoming leadership.

This policy meeting likely represented Jerome Powell’s final appearance as chair. His tenure concludes on May 15.

Kevin Warsh, widely anticipated to assume the role, secured approval from the Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday. He appears set to transition into the chairmanship upon Powell’s departure.

The three hawkish dissenting votes indicate Warsh may encounter internal resistance should he pursue rate reductions. Achieving consensus among members concerned about inflation will be essential.

Financial markets responded to the announcement. Bitcoin decreased approximately 0.5% across 24 hours, hovering just beneath the $76,000 threshold.

Market Response to Federal Reserve’s Rate Decision

The Nasdaq registered a 0.35% decline. Treasury yields advanced, with the two-year note increasing 9 basis points to reach 3.93% and the 10-year climbing 5 basis points to 4.40%.

Elevated yields typically exert downward pressure on growth-oriented equities and speculative assets including cryptocurrencies. Wednesday’s market adjustments remained relatively contained but demonstrated consistent directionality.

Oil prices contributed an additional dimension to the Fed’s policy dilemma. WTI crude hovered near $105 per barrel, approaching post-conflict peaks.

Balancing Act: The Fed’s Dual Mandate Dilemma

Energy market dynamics directly influence headline inflation metrics, creating additional complexity for monetary policymakers. Elevated oil costs simultaneously threaten economic expansion, positioning the Fed between its dual objectives: price stability and economic support.

Powell was anticipated to elaborate on monetary policy direction during his post-decision press briefing. Market participants scrutinized his remarks for indications regarding the trajectory and timing of potential rate adjustments.

The Fed avoided committing to a specific policy path. Officials stated future decisions will be contingent upon forthcoming economic data and evolving macroeconomic conditions.

Bitcoin traded marginally below $76,000 when the decision was announced, while the Nasdaq maintained moderate losses heading into Powell’s press conference.