Abu Dhabi royal backs stake in Trump-linked crypto bank

An Abu Dhabi royal group is reported to be the largest outside backer of the holding company behind World Liberty Financial’s planned US trust bank. The structure would give the venture a route into federally supervised banking if it wins final approval. The arrangement also ties a Gulf-linked investor to a crypto project associated with Donald Trump’s family.

Ownership structure and proposed role

The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s group is behind StringZ Holding RSC, which owns 49% of WLTC Holdings. Another 38% is held by an entity linked to Trump’s family, the report said. That makes the Abu Dhabi-linked side the largest shareholder in the holding company behind the bank plan.

World Liberty Financial has been pursuing a trust bank structure that would allow its USD1 stablecoin to be issued, redeemed and held through a regulated entity. The bank would be supervised at the federal level if it clears the remaining approval process. The development matters because stablecoin operators have been seeking clearer banking and custody arrangements as they try to operate inside the US financial system.

Regulatory backdrop and market implications

Sheikh Tahnoon is the United Arab Emirates’ national security adviser and also chairs G42, the country’s artificial intelligence company. The report comes after the United States authorized exports of advanced AI chips to G42 in November 2025, following a wider AI cooperation framework between Washington and Abu Dhabi. That backdrop underscores the overlapping business and policy interests running through the deal.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has already conditionally approved the proposed US trust bank, but the venture still needs final sign-off before it can begin operating. Conditional approval signals that the regulator is open to the structure, but it does not by itself authorize full launch. For the crypto sector, the case is another sign that stablecoin firms are pushing deeper into traditional banking rails rather than operating solely through offshore or lightly regulated channels.

What the ownership stake means for World Liberty

A 49% stake is large enough to make the Abu Dhabi-linked group central to the venture’s capital base without giving it outright control. The ownership split also suggests that World Liberty’s banking ambitions are being built around a coalition of politically and financially connected investors. That combination is likely to keep the project under close scrutiny from regulators and market participants alike.

If the bank ultimately receives final approval, it would give World Liberty a regulated framework for handling USD1-related services in the United States. Until then, the venture remains a proposed structure rather than a fully operating bank. The reporting adds another layer to the growing intersection between crypto infrastructure, Gulf capital and US political branding.

This article is not investment advice and recommends no asset, level or direction; a single session's move is not evidence of a trend. For background see Crypto, Altcoin, Bitcoin, and for terms the finance glossary.