Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s national security adviser, and his co-investors hold a 49% stake in the holding company behind the Trump family-linked crypto bank venture, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
The investment is linked to World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency venture associated with U.S. President Donald Trump’s family. The company is developing World Liberty Trust Company, a proposed federally chartered national trust bank focused on digital assets and stablecoin services.
A $500 Million Investment
According to the WSJ, Sheikh Tahnoon and co-investors invested $500 million for the 49% stake through an investment vehicle called StringZ Holding RSC. A Trump family-affiliated entity holds approximately 38% of the bank holding company.
The investment has attracted attention because Sheikh Tahnoon is not only a prominent Abu Dhabi royal but also serves as the UAE’s national security adviser. He is widely known for his role in the country’s intelligence and security establishment.
Crypto Banking Ambitions
World Liberty Financial is seeking to establish a federally chartered trust bank that would provide services connected to its USD1 stablecoin, including issuance, redemption and custody.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has granted preliminary conditional approval for the proposed bank, although the company still needs to satisfy regulatory requirements before receiving final authorization.
USD1, World Liberty Financial’s dollar-pegged stablecoin, has grown into a major crypto asset with a market value of around $4 billion, according to recent reports.
Questions Over Foreign Influence
The deal is drawing scrutiny in Washington because it connects a sitting U.S. president’s family business with a senior foreign government official.
Critics and lawmakers have raised questions about potential conflicts of interest and foreign influence, particularly as the Trump administration has simultaneously been involved in major economic and technology discussions with the UAE.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has required key shareholders to agree to remain passive investors, a measure intended to prevent them from exercising management control over the bank.
The Trump administration has rejected allegations of conflicts of interest, while World Liberty Financial has maintained that it intends to operate within applicable regulatory requirements.
The development highlights the growing intersection between cryptocurrency, global finance and geopolitics — and places the Trump family’s expanding crypto business under renewed scrutiny.
