HTX Jumps Into $1 Reward Frenzy—Stablecoin Shakes Off Political Baggage
HTX just turbocharged the stablecoin game by joining the $1 rewards race—proving crypto's favorite dollar-pegged tokens can outrun regulatory FUD.
No more optics, just yield.
While TradFi banks still offer 0.01% on savings accounts, HTX's move screams 'adapt or die' to legacy finance. The play? Ditch political theater, stack real yield—even if it's just a buck at a time.
One cynic's take: Wall Street would kill for this kind of customer acquisition cost.
Can rewards fix USD1’s adoption problem?
For World Liberty Financial, the loyalty program appears designed to address a Core challenge facing USD1: credibility. Since its April launch, the Trump-affiliated stablecoin has struggled to shed its identity as a politically branded asset rather than a neutral, utility-driven token.
Despite a 24-hour 21% surge in market cap, USD1 stands at just $601 million, a fraction of incumbents like Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC, which command $167 billion and $64 billion, respectively, according to CoinMarketCap.
Analysts at Kaito told CNBC last month that the stablecoin’s lack of institutional backing and promotional utility has kept it from taking hold. “Most stablecoins that succeed do so with a mixture of utility, visibility, and incentives,” one Kaito researcher noted. “Until now, USD1 had none of those.”
The launch of the rewards initiative aims to flip that script. Per the press release users on HTX can now earn loyalty points by trading USD1 pairs, holding USD1 balances, or staking the token through the platform. Additional rewards will be offered through partner integrations and WLFI’s mobile app, with specific rules varying by exchange.
“We’re proud to support this loyalty program as a way to drive adoption through forward-thinking initiatives.” HTX advisor Justin SUN said.
The political elephant in the room
While World Liberty Financial maintains that USD1 is fully backed by U.S. Treasuries and other cash equivalents, its rollout has been mired in controversy. Donald TRUMP Jr. has framed USD1 as a tool to promote dollar strength, but critics see deep conflicts of interest. The Trump family holds advisory roles in the project, and according to CNBC, 75% of profits are funneled to family-linked entities.
Concerns intensified after the recent TRUMP token promotion, which offered top holders a private dinner with the former president. Senator Elizabeth Warren called the contest “an orgy of corruption,” accusing Trump of using crypto to enrich himself and his allies.
According to Inca Digital, over $5.2 billion in gains were concentrated in a small number of wallets, while more than half a million participants suffered collective losses of $3.9 billion.
