Trump Family Crypto Venture Receives $100M Boost from UAE Investor
Aqua1 Foundation’s massive token purchase places it above Tron’s Justin Sun in governance power.
UAE Fund Becomes Major Backer of Trump-Affiliated Crypto Project
A United Arab Emirates-based investment firm, Aqua1 Foundation, has invested $100 million into World Liberty Financial (WLFI) — a cryptocurrency platform backed by the Trump family. The sizable deal places Aqua1 among the project’s top governance token holders, ahead of even Tron founder Justin Sun, who invested $30 million in November 2024.
The announcement, made Thursday by both World Liberty and Aqua1, describes the investment as a strategic move to accelerate WLFI’s vision of a blockchain-powered financial ecosystem. This includes efforts in Real World Asset (RWA) tokenization, stablecoin integration, and decentralized capital infrastructure.
“Trillion-Dollar Pivot”: Aqua1 Sees Strategic Value in WLFI
Aqua1 founding partner Dave Lee emphasized the strategic significance of the deal:
“WLFI’s USD1 ecosystem and RWA pipeline embody the trillion-dollar structural pivot opportunity we seek to catalyze — where architects merge traditional capital markets with decentralized primitives to redefine global financial infrastructure.”
The two entities plan to co-invest and incubate blockchain startups as part of a broader expansion initiative.
WLFI’s Trump Ties Trigger Political Alarm in Washington
The massive foreign investment comes as U.S. lawmakers ramp up scrutiny of WLFI due to its deep ties to the Trump family. President Donald Trump’s three sons are listed as co-founders, and the president himself disclosed $57.4 million in income from WLFI, along with ownership of 15.75 billion governance tokens, according to June financial filings.
This isn’t the first international involvement raising eyebrows. In May, WLFI said that MGX, an Abu Dhabi-based investment firm, would use its USD1 stablecoin to settle a $2 billion transaction on Binance — news that amplified concerns in Congress about foreign influence and regulatory loopholes.
Congress, DOJ Weigh Stablecoin Oversight Amid Conflict Concerns
Tensions over WLFI’s political entanglements surfaced again during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Wednesday. Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley pressed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on whether the Justice Department is investigating potential conflicts tied to the president’s crypto ties.
“I think it’s important for the leader of the Justice Department of the United States to be very concerned about foreign influence,” Merkley said. “We want Americans to make American decisions — not ones influenced by crypto purchases abroad.”
Lawmakers are now examining legislative solutions, including amending the GENIUS Act (Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins) to prohibit sitting presidents from owning or trading digital assets during their term.
Share This
