World Liberty Financial draws Congressional probe over reported UAE investment
A senior Democratic lawmaker has launched a formal investigation into World Liberty Financial Inc (WLF), demanding information and documents over reported foreign investments and potential links between the crypto company, national security policy, and U.S. competition with China.
- Democratic lawmakers have asked World Liberty Financial to provide documents and explanations over reported foreign investments, including a nearly 49% stake allegedly purchased by an entity linked to the UAE royal family.
- The inquiry raises concerns about potential foreign influence on U.S. policy, particularly around technology restrictions and strategic competition with China.
- Lawmakers are also examining World Liberty Financial’s stablecoin activity and its reported role in facilitating a major investment into crypto exchange Binance.
Lawmakers raise national security concerns tied to World Liberty Financial
In a letter dated February 4, 2026, Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), the ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, wrote to Trump-linked crypto firm World Liberty Financial’s co-founder Zach Witkoff.
The letter cited recent reports that an entity controlled by a member of the United Arab Emirates royal family purchased nearly a 49% stake in WLF for about $500 million shortly before President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Khanna’s letter, which forms part of an expanded probe, said the transactions raise “shocking and scandalous” concerns about potential foreign influence over U.S. government actions.
It specifically pointed to policies related to technology and strategic competition with China, including efforts to restrict the transfer of advanced artificial intelligence technology to the People’s Republic of China.
The letter also highlights that the WLF stablecoin USD1 was used to facilitate a $2 billion investment by a UAE-linked investment firm, known as MGX, into Binance, a major cryptocurrency exchange founded in China whose former CEO was pardoned last year by President Trump. Khanna’s office said those connections could have implications for U.S. national security and monetary policy.
Broad inquiry into foreign ties, policy influence
Khanna’s request for documents is wide-ranging. Lawmakers asked WLF to verify the details of the reported UAE investment, disclose how funds were distributed, and provide communications related to U.S. export control policy, stablecoin usage, and interactions with federal agencies.
The committee also sought details on any board appointments connected to foreign entities and revenue or profit distributions linked to the Binance investment.
In the letter, Khanna emphasized that congressional oversight is necessary to ensure that U.S. policy on economic and technological competition with China remains driven by national interest rather than potential private financial interests tied to foreign governments or senior officials.
