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Ahmed Balaha
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Washington just got a new crypto headache. Two U.S. Senators are pushing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to open an urgent national security review over a $500 million foreign investment in World Liberty Financial.
Here is where it gets tense. The money comes from a UAE backed investment vehicle and reportedly gives foreign players a 49% stake in the Trump linked crypto venture. That is a big slice.
The timing makes it even more explosive. This all surfaced just days after the inauguration, raising concerns about who might gain access to sensitive financial or user data.
Key Takeaways
- Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim formally requested a CFIUS probe into a UAE-backed vehicle purchasing 49% of WLFI.
- The $500 million deal allegedly funnels $187 million directly to Trump-family linked entities, raising conflict of interest flags.
- Lawmakers argue the structure grants foreign actors dangerous leverage over a firm collecting sensitive U.S. financial data.
The Deal and the Threat
In a letter sent Friday, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim asked Treasury to confirm whether CFIUS was even alerted about the deal.
The transaction would give a UAE backed investment vehicle nearly 49% of World Liberty Financial, the DeFi project widely promoted by the Trump family. That is not a minor stake.
Reports link the funding to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE national security adviser. If finalized, the foreign fund becomes the largest shareholder overnight.
And this is happening as Trump affiliated ventures are expanding deeper into crypto, putting everything under a brighter spotlight.
The real tension is about influence. A $500 million stake is not passive money. It can mean access, leverage, and potentially sensitive internal data. For a project tied to a sitting President’s family, the optics alone are enough to spark political fire.
National Security Red Flags
The concern is not just the $500 million. It is the data.
Senators pointed out that WLFI privacy policy admits to collecting wallet addresses, device identifiers, and even approximate location data. If a foreign backed fund gains influence over a company holding that kind of financial information, it raises serious national security flags.
The letter also references executives tied to G42, a tech firm that has faced U.S. scrutiny over alleged links to China.
Warren and Kim want confirmation by March 5 on whether a formal review is underway. With Treasury pushing for clearer crypto rules, ignoring a potential security gap tied to presidential business interests could turn into a political storm.
All of this is unfolding while the broader Trump linked crypto network keeps expanding. Reports suggest roughly $187 million from the deal would flow to entities connected to the Trump family which makes it even more complicated.
Will The Deal Unwind?
If CFIUS steps in, this could get serious. The committee has the authority to unwind deals retroactively, especially if cybersecurity or national security risks are involved. High profile foreign investments with political ties rarely escape scrutiny.
With crypto increasingly intersecting with federal oversight, headlines like this can move markets quickly. If Treasury confirms an active review, expect volatility to spike.