Trump-Linked WLFI $500M UAE Stake Sparks Senate Demand For Probe

bitcoinistPublished on 2026-02-16Last updated on 2026-02-16

Abstract

US lawmakers, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim, are demanding an investigation by the Treasury's CFIUS committee into a reported $500 million investment by an Abu Dhabi-linked vehicle for a 49% stake in Trump-connected crypto firm World Liberty Financial (WLFI). The investment, tied to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan and finalized in January 2025, raises national security concerns over foreign access to sensitive customer data, system controls, and strategic decision-making. The deal also involved board appointments linked to G42, a company previously scrutinized by US intelligence. If CFIUS does not review the transaction, lawmakers plan to pursue oversight hearings and further document requests.

US lawmakers on Friday stepped up pressure over a reported foreign stake in a crypto firm tied to US President Donald Trump, asking the Treasury’s foreign-investment watchdog to explain whether the deal threatens national security or should be reviewed.

Trump And The $500 Million Deal

Reports say an Abu Dhabi-linked vehicle paid about $500 million for roughly 49% stake in World Liberty Financial (WLFI). That investment is said to have put a foreign investor in line to be the largest outside shareholder and to win board seats.

Based on reports, critics worry about what access a large shareholder could have to customer data, system controls, or strategic decision-making at a company that handles stablecoins and user wallets.

Sheikh Named As A Backer

Accounts point to an investment vehicle tied to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Reports say the deal closed in January 2025, a timing that has drawn extra attention from legislators, given its proximity to the transition in Washington.

Some money from the transaction reportedly flowed to entities linked to the company’s founders and affiliates. That detail has raised questions about disclosure and whether any rules governing foreign deals were followed.

BTCUSD currently trading at $70,279. Chart: TradingView

Lawmakers Want Answers

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and New Jersey Senator Andy Kim have written to Scott Bessent asking whether the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US — CFIUS — has reviewed the transaction or should now open a formal probe into the Trump-linked crypto venture.

The lawmakers set a response deadline and asked for documents and a clear statement on any national security concerns. Their letter frames the matter as one of foreign access to sensitive financial and identity information, and of potential influence over a firm connected to a sitting president.

Image: WEEX

Board Appointments And Tech Ties Add To Scrutiny

Reports note that executives with ties to G42 were named to the company’s board after the deal. That link has prompted fresh questions, since G42 has been inspected in past US intelligence reviews for its foreign partnerships.

Lawmakers say those kinds of connections merit a close look when the investor traces back to a foreign government official or agency.

Trump-Linked Crypto: What Happens Next

If CFIUS opens a formal review, it could demand documents, interview executives, and impose mitigation steps or block parts of the deal. If no review is launched, lawmakers say they will press further through oversight hearings and document requests.

The unfolding inquiry highlights a knot of issues: foreign capital in crypto, the handling of consumer data, and how political ties intersect with cross-border investments.

Featured image from David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images, chart from TradingView

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