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An Abu Dhabi royal who invested $500 million in President Donald Trump's World Liberty Financial is deepening his ties to the family crypto business.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan and co-investors are now behind an entity that owns 49% of the holding company for World Liberty's proposed U.S. crypto bank, which recently received preliminary regulatory approval, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
The disclosure puts fresh scrutiny on the financial relationship between the sitting president's family and one of the Middle East's most powerful government officials.
That original World Liberty deal was signed in January 2025, just four days before Trump's inauguration. The president's latest financial disclosure shows it ultimately directed $263 million to Trump family entities.
For the bank holding company, Tahnoon and his co-investors are using a separate vehicle called StringZ Holding RSC, extending the relationship from World Liberty itself into its proposed banking arm.
Tahnoon's ties to World Liberty go beyond equity.
Binance paid $4.3 billion in 2023 to settle U.S. anti-money-laundering and other violations, while founder Changpeng "CZ" Zhao pleaded guilty and later served prison time.
In 2025, Tahnoon-chaired MGX used World Liberty's USD1 stablecoin to complete its $2 billion investment in Binance, giving USD1 a major early use case. Trump pardoned Zhao later that year. Lawyers for Binance and Zhao have said any suggestion that the MGX investment or its use of USD1 was connected to Zhao's pardon request is without foundation.
USD1 has since grown to roughly $4 billion, with its reserves generating an estimated $150 million a year in interest.
Why the Timing Is Sensitive
Tahnoon also chairs AI firm G42. Last month, the Trump administration eased U.S. export restrictions for the UAE, allowing firms including G42 easier access to certain advanced computing equipment, including AI chips and servers.
There is no evidence that Tahnoon's World Liberty investment influenced that decision. A person familiar with the investment told the Journal it was never discussed with Trump, while the White House denies any conflict of interest.
The CLARITY Act has meanwhile stalled in the Senate amid disagreements over several provisions, including crypto ethics rules. The bill would restrict government officials from operating their own crypto businesses, including Trump, while Democrats have pushed for tougher enforcement of those restrictions.