In a bold move that’s grabbing attention across both political and crypto circles, United Arab Emirates-based Aqua1 Foundation has invested $100 million into World Liberty Financial (WLFI), the crypto venture closely linked to U.S. President Donald Trump and his family. According to Thursday’s joint announcement, Aqua1’s investment makes it one of the largest holders of WLFI’s governance token — a stake now surpassing that of prominent backers like Tron founder Justin Sun.
The sizable funding will help scale WLFI’s broader ambitions: building a blockchain-powered financial ecosystem that includes tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), stablecoin applications, and broader blockchain infrastructure. The firms say the partnership aims to “set new benchmarks for global capital efficiency” while encouraging cross-border capital flow using decentralized finance rails.
This latest development pushes WLFI deeper into the spotlight, especially as it continues to attract international investors despite mounting scrutiny at home.
More Than Just Money: Strategic Control and Political Ties
The $100 million investment cements Aqua1’s influence over WLFI’s roadmap, edging out Sun’s previous $30 million commitment made in November 2024. Aqua1 founding partner Dave Lee said the firm would now work closely with WLFI to incubate high-potential blockchain initiatives that connect traditional capital markets with decentralized finance infrastructure.
“WLFI’s USD1 stablecoin and its real-world asset pipeline represent a trillion-dollar opportunity to reshape financial systems,” said Lee.
WLFI’s core infrastructure is built around USD1, a stablecoin pitched as a fully-backed settlement layer for large institutional transactions. The Trump family’s deep involvement — with Eric, Don Jr., and Barron Trump listed as co-founders — continues to raise concerns in Washington. Financial disclosures released in June revealed that Trump himself earned over $57 million tied to the platform and holds over 15.7 billion WLFI tokens.
Scrutiny Rises as Lawmakers Sound Alarm on Conflicts of Interest
WLFI is under intensifying political scrutiny, particularly as U.S. lawmakers push forward with new legislation to regulate the stablecoin sector. The platform drew backlash in May when it was revealed that Abu Dhabi-based MGX planned to use USD1 to settle a $2 billion investment into Binance, prompting fears that foreign actors could be leveraging Trump-connected crypto firms for influence.
During a Senate hearing last week, Attorney General Pam Bondi declined to directly address questions about the administration’s ties to WLFI. Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley voiced concern over possible foreign interference through token-backed financial arrangements.
“I encourage you to take on the topic,” Merkley told Bondi,
“and not consider it an offense that those of us who are concerned here… want Americans to make American decisions — not foreign influence being bought through crypto coins.”
In response, several Democratic lawmakers are backing amendments to the GENIUS Act to explicitly prohibit the president and future executive leaders from owning or benefiting from digital assets while in office.
As the stablecoin regulation debate heats up, WLFI’s political entanglements and its expanding international partnerships are becoming a focal point in broader discussions about financial ethics, transparency, and national security.
Quick Facts
- UAE’s Aqua1 Foundation invested $100M in Trump-affiliated crypto firm WLFI.
- The deal makes Aqua1 the largest WLFI tokenholder, surpassing Justin Sun.
- WLFI is under scrutiny as Congress debates stablecoin regulation and conflicts of interest.
- President Trump disclosed over $57M in income and massive WLFI token holdings.
