Abu Dhabi royal backs 49% stake in World Liberty bank entity

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan and co-investors are backing a 49% stake in the holding company behind World Liberty Financial’s planned US bank, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Tahnoon, the United Arab Emirates’ national security adviser and brother of the country’s president, is part of an investment group that holds the largest stake in the entity created to house World Liberty’s banking venture.

The arrangement expands the relationship between the Abu Dhabi royal and the Trump family-backed crypto company. Tahnoon previously backed a $500 million investment in World Liberty Financial in exchange for a 49% stake in the company, the Journal reported.

The disclosure comes after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency granted preliminary conditional approval earlier this month for World Liberty Trust Company, National Association. OCC records show the charter application was approved on Aug. 14.

The federally chartered national trust bank is intended to issue, redeem and safeguard USD1, World Liberty’s dollar-backed stablecoin.

Tahnoon oversees an investment network spanning his personal wealth and state-backed entities, with assets exceeding $1.3 trillion, according to the Journal.

The new banking venture further deepens World Liberty’s ties to the UAE as the company expands its stablecoin operations and financial infrastructure in the US.