WSJ: UAE investors take 49% stake in Trump’s planned crypto bank holding company

Tahnoun-linked group holds 49% of WLFI’s bank holding; Trump family-linked firm owns 38%.

An entity linked to Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan holds 49% of WLTC Holdings, a holding company created by World Liberty Financial (WLFI) for its banking business. A company linked to the family of U.S. President Donald Trump owns another 38%, WSJ reported.

In August, the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) granted preliminary approval to WLFI’s application to launch a national trust bank. It is expected to handle issuance, redemption, and custody of USD1 and will also be able to offer crypto asset custody services.

Before it can begin operations, the company must meet a number of requirements and pass the regulator’s final review.

Tahnoun retained a stake in the banking venture

The UAE investors’ stake is held through StringZ Holding RSC. The entity was registered in Abu Dhabi in April 2025 and a month later in the U.S. state of Delaware.

According to WSJ, Tahnoun and his co-investors are behind StringZ. He serves as the United Arab Emirates’ national security adviser and is the brother of the country’s president, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.