Aqua1 Invests $100M in Trump-Linked World Liberty Financial

June 26, 2025 — UAE-based Web3 fund Aqua1 has made a $100 million investment in World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a cryptocurrency platform co-founded by Donald Trump’s sons and tied to the former U.S. President. The investment involves the purchase of WLFI governance tokens, making Aqua1 the platform’s largest token holder.

Key Takeaways

• Aqua1 has invested $100 million into WLFI governance tokens
• WLFI is co-founded by Donald Trump’s sons; Trump holds 15.75B tokens
• The deal aims to scale DeFi and RWA tokenization globally
• Aqua Fund to support UAE’s blockchain economy via ADGM
• Regulatory scrutiny grows over foreign influence and stablecoin rules

A Strategic Push into DeFi

The partnership aims to fast-track blockchain development, real-world asset tokenization, and the creation of an institutional-grade asset marketplace. Aqua1 is also launching the Aqua Fund to support Middle East digital economy initiatives, in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM).

The deal includes plans to scale WLFI’s reach across South America, Europe, and Asia, with Aqua1 also backing a new blockchain venture dubbed BlockRock.

Regulatory Scrutiny Looms

Despite the promise of expanding global DeFi ecosystems, the deal has sparked concern in Washington due to Trump family involvement. Lawmakers worry about foreign influence, particularly as Congress debates stablecoin legislation that could limit political investment in crypto.

WLFI has been under increased spotlight since Donald Trump revealed he earned $57.4 million from the company and personally holds 15.75 billion WLFI tokens.

WLFI Investment History (as of June 27, 2025)

Investor / Round	Date	Amount (\$M)	Type	Notes
Tron / Justin Sun	November 26, 2024	30	Private	Likely initial investment from Tron founder Justin Sun
Unknown	January 27, 2025	10	Private	Investor not disclosed
Public Sale (Round 1)	Oct 2024 – Jan 2025	300	Public Sale	20B tokens sold at $0.015 each
Public Sale (Round 2)	March 2025	250	Public Sale	5B tokens sold at $0.05 each
Aqua1	June 26, 2025	100	Direct Investment	Purchased WLFI governance tokens; now the largest holder
Justin Sun (Total)	Various (up to 2025)	75	Mixed (Initial + Mkt)	Includes $30M initial + secondary market purchases
DWF Labs	April 16, 2025	25	Secondary Market	Acquired WLFI tokens on the market; not a direct funding round

Total Raised: $715 million

• Private Investments: $40M
• Public Sales: $550M
• Direct + Market Investments: $125M

A First-Mover Deal in a Heated Climate

This investment is now the largest in WLFI history, surpassing a previous $30 million stake by Justin Sun. It comes at a time when the intersection of crypto and politics is intensifying, and stablecoin rules like the GENIUS Act are under consideration.

Meanwhile, confusion around a separate $2 billion MGX–Binance deal has added to the public attention, though it’s unrelated to Aqua1’s WLFI acquisition.

Did You Know?

Donald Trump’s crypto earnings are no small feat — he disclosed $57.4 million in income from WLFI alone, making him one of the highest-earning political figures in crypto to date.