- StringZ reportedly owns 49% of WLTC Holdings, the largest disclosed stake.
- OCC gave World Liberty Trust preliminary approval for a U.S. trust bank.
- The bank would handle USD1 issuance, redemption, custody, and fiat conversion.
An investment group linked to Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan reportedly controls the largest stake in the holding company behind the proposed World Liberty trust bank, placing UAE capital at the middle of a proposed U.S.-regulated operation for the USD1 stablecoin.
According to sources, Tahnoon and co-investors back StringZ Holding RSC, which owns 49% of World Liberty Trust Company (WLTC) Holdings. An entity affiliated with President Donald Trump’s family owns another 38%.
World Liberty Trust Bank Would Handle USD1 Operations
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency granted World Liberty Trust Company preliminary conditional approval on Aug. 14 to establish a federally chartered national trust bank.
If the company secures final approval, the bank would issue, redeem, and safeguard USD1. The proposed structure would also support custody and fiat conversion functions tied to the dollar-backed stablecoin.
However, the OCC approval does not allow the bank to begin operating immediately. World Liberty Trust Company must first satisfy the regulator’s pre-opening conditions before receiving final authorization.
The OCC’s published decision confirms StringZ as an investor in WLTC Holdings. It also says StringZ agreed to commitments limiting its ability to influence the bank. The document does not identify Tahnoon as StringZ’s backer or disclose the reported 49% ownership stake.
UAE Capital Adds Another Layer to USD1 Expansion Plans
The reported ownership structure links World Liberty’s banking plans to Tahnoon, who serves as the UAE’s national security adviser and chairs the artificial intelligence company G42. The U.S. authorized exports of advanced AI chips to G42 in November 2025. That decision followed a U.S.-UAE artificial intelligence cooperation framework, while Washington later eased limits on the number of chips the company could purchase.
Tahnoon had also previously backed a $500 million purchase of a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial. Democratic senators later called for hearings into that transaction and whether it had any connection to U.S. policy toward the UAE.
For USD1, a finalized World Liberty Trust bank charter could place issuance, redemption, custody, and fiat conversion within a single federally supervised entity. Combined with the reported UAE-backed capital position in WLTC Holdings, that structure could provide World Liberty with both regulated banking infrastructure and solid financial backing.
World Liberty spokesman David Wachsman said the company operates as a private U.S. financial technology business with separate governance for its trust company. He also said World Liberty does not seek or receive special treatment.
Related: World Liberty Financial Joins Custodia, Ripple, Circle in Push for U.S. Trust Bank Status
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