Cheyenne, WY, December 21, 2025
Last week WYDE – The Impact Exchange, launched $EAT, its first impact token or Causecoin. $EAT turns normal token trading into steady funding for hunger relief. Each trade sends a set share of fees to verified 501(C)(3) partners. A community treasury unlocks as meals are funded. Milestones are based on impact, not time. $EAT launched on the largest US exchange, Coinbase’s Base network.
WYDE has also publicly announced that $EAT will adopt a participatory investing model so community members who hold the token can help decide which verified charities receive funding in the future. Each trade of $EAT already sends a share of fees to a public wallet for vetted hunger relief partners.
Also last week, serendipitously, an Independent Report was published by leading U.S. Impact Consultancy, One Project, on the Benefits of Participatory Funding and Investing shows what happens when communities help decide where money goes. Spoiler alert: across the board and across scales, results are astounding. From New York City to smaller local investment funds, results get better, trust grows, and resources reach people who need them most.
What is Participatory Investing
Participatory investing puts the people themselves in charge of where investment money goes. Community members set priorities, review options, and vote on what to fund, which helps meet local needs, avoid extractive terms, and build shared wealth. $EAT holders will apply this approach by voting on which verified charities receive funds and other decisions on the future of the token.
The One Project report, Who Decides Where Money Goes? The Benefits of Participatory Funding strongly links community control to a number of benefits of various types of participatory funding or investing. These include:
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Higher voter turnout in New York City by 8.4%
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Lower infant deaths in Brazil by nearly 20%,
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30 to 40% more local tax collection in Brazilian cities using participatory budgeting.
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Community lending models report repayment rates of 90%+
Why Participatory Investing Works
When it comes to participatory investing, the report shows that when communities help direct where their pooled capital goes, projects succeed more often. Lending stays non-extractive, and perhaps most crucially, money tends to reach people who need it most. Studies also point to local economic multipliers and lower barriers to entry for everyday residents who want to participate in finance.
