YouTuber and cryptocurrency investigator Coffeezilla, along with researcher Molly White, has published an investigation into the Trump family's crypto businesses, examining World Liberty Financial, meme coins, and associated business relationships.
World Liberty Financial was launched shortly before the 2024 presidential election with limited initial investor interest. Following Trump's election victory, token sales reportedly reached $550 million. An entity backed by UAE royal Sheik Tahnoun bin Zayed reportedly paid $500 million for a 49% stake in World Liberty four days before Trump's inauguration.
The investigation raises questions about the relationship between this investment and a subsequent announcement regarding World Liberty's USD1 stablecoin, which was later used in MGX's $2 billion investment in Binance. Sheik Tahnoun was reportedly involved in both transactions. According to White, interest earned on USD1's reserves could generate hundreds of millions of dollars for Trump family entities.
A major transaction involved a $1.5 billion deal with ALT5 Sigma, which reportedly generated approximately $500 million for a Trump family entity and $90 million for the Witkoff family. ALT5's stock subsequently lost around 95% of its value over the following year.
The Trump meme coin launched in January 2025 reportedly generated around $600 million, while Melania Trump's token and NFT ventures brought in $6 million. Both tokens later experienced significant declines, with TRUMP losing approximately 95% of its peak value and MELANIA losing approximately 99%.
World Liberty Financial has rejected allegations of wrongdoing, maintaining that it has followed required regulatory procedures and that its business activities are legitimate.
