Latest news with #Aqua1Foundation
Reuters
7 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Aqua 1 Announces $100M Strategic World Liberty Financial Governance Token Purchase to Help Shape and Accelerate Decentralized Finance Adoption
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, June 26, 2025 (EZ Newswire) -- Aqua 1 Foundation, opens new tab, a pioneering Web3-native fund, announced a $100 million strategic World Liberty Financial, opens new tab (WLFI) governance token purchase to participate in governance of the decentralized finance platform inspired by President Donald J. Trump. This commitment is intended to help accelerate the creation of a blockchain-powered financial ecosystem centered on blockchain development, Real World Asset (RWA) tokenization, and stablecoin integration, aiming to set new benchmarks for global capital efficiency. This collaboration pioneers the institutional migration of traditional finance to decentralized finance by accelerating the adoption of tokenized real-world assets. Together, WLFI and Aqua 1 are building the definitive bridge between legacy systems and blockchain innovation — an institutional-grade marketplace delivering unparalleled access to traditional assets. 'We're excited to work hand-in-hand with the team at Aqua 1,' said Zak Folkman, co-founder of World Liberty Financial. 'Aligning with Aqua 1 validates our blueprint for global financial innovation, as we have a joint mission to bring digital assets to the masses and strengthen our nation's standing as a champion and leader of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.' Capitalizing on Aqua 1's institutional expertise, the partnership will seek to synergize USD1 infrastructure to ignite adoption across commercial payment gateways and treasury management systems. "WLFI and Aqua 1 will jointly identify and nurture high-potential blockchain projects together," stated Dave Lee, founding partner of Aqua 1. "WLFI's USD1 ecosystem and RWA pipeline embody the trillion-dollar structural pivot opportunity we seek to catalyze — where architects merge traditional capital markets with decentralized primitives to redefine global financial infrastructure.' Beyond the U.S. market, Aqua 1's global investment and compliance teams will assist WLFI in expanding across South America, Europe, Asia, and emerging markets to accelerate digital asset ecosystem development. Strategically, WLFI also plans to support the launch of Aqua 1's Aqua Fund — a UAE-domiciled investment fund developed in partnership with leading regional stakeholders. The fund will be dedicated to accelerating the Middle East's digital economy transformation through advanced blockchain infrastructure, artificial intelligence integration, and global Web3 adoption. Aqua Fund aims to serve as a gateway for capital, talent, and technology to converge, positioning the region at the forefront of the next digital wave. Aqua Fund intends to partner with a secondary trading venue within ADGM to list the fund and facilitate secondary market liquidity for investors. Furthermore, both parties plan to jointly develop and incubate BlockRock, opens new tab, an institutional RWA tokenization platform, focused on digitizing and integrating premium traditional assets into the Web3 ecosystem. About Aqua 1 Foundation Aqua1 Foundation is a Web3-native fund based in UAE with a global outlook. Driven by professionalism, stability, and innovation, Aqua1 focuses on both primary market investments and secondary asset management in the Web3 sector. We are seeking the next generation of early-stage startups in fields such as infrastructure, financial protocols, and user applications. Within the secondary market, our objective is to deliver stable returns to asset holders and act as a key enabler of liquidity and growth for crypto assets. We are not only a capital provider, but an ecosystem co-builder. We partner with industry founders, advancing with the times. Learn more at opens new tab. About World Liberty Financial World Liberty Financial (WLFI) is a pioneering decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol and governance platform inspired by the vision of President Donald J. Trump. WLFI develops transparent, secure, and accessible financial tools, including institutional-grade products designed to broaden participation in decentralized finance. Learn more and follow updates at opens new tab. Legal Disclaimers and Forward-Looking Statements USD1 is a stablecoin redeemable on a 1:1 basis for the U.S. Dollar (USD). USD1 is 100% backed by a reserve containing short term U.S. government treasuries, U.S. dollar deposits, and other cash equivalents, and all such reserve assets are held or maintained by BitGo Trust Company, Inc., a South Dakota-chartered trust company ("BitGo Trust"), and/or by BitGo Technologies LLC, a federally registered money services business and state-licensed money transmitter ("BitGo Tech", together with BitGo Trust and their other affiliates, "BitGo"). BitGo issues USD1, and World Liberty Financial, Inc. and its affiliated entities, own the World Liberty Financial USD1 brand and provide certain services. No legal, tax, investment, or other advice is provided by any entity. Please consult your legal, tax, and investment professionals for questions about your specific circumstances. Digital assets are subject to several risks, including price volatility. Transacting in digital assets could result in significant losses and may not be suitable for some consumers. Digital asset markets and exchanges are not regulated with the same controls or customer protections available with other forms of financial products and are subject to an evolving regulatory environment. Digital assets do not have legal tender status and are not covered by deposit protection insurance. The past performance of a digital asset is not a guide to future performance, nor is it a reliable indicator of future results or performance. Additional disclosures can be found at opens new tab. Media Contact Dora Leebd@ ### SOURCE: Aqua 1 Foundation Copyright 2025 EZ Newswire See release on EZ Newswire
Mint
10 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
UAE's Aqua 1 invests $100 million in Trump-linked crypto venture, amid outcry of influence peddling
Aqua 1 Foundation, a UAE-based Web3 investment fund, announced today a $100 million purchase of governance tokens in World Liberty Financial (WLF), solidifying its position as the largest individual investor in the controversial crypto venture closely tied to the Trump family. The deal marks the second major Middle Eastern investment in WLF within months, raising fresh questions about foreign influence and conflicts of interest surrounding the decentralized finance platform. The investment grants Aqua 1 significant voting rights over WLF's future development. According to a joint statement, the capital will accelerate WLF's plans to build blockchain-powered financial applications, including expanding its USD1 stablecoin and developing platforms for tokenizing traditional assets like real estate or commodities. The partnership also includes plans to co-develop "BlockRock," an institutional real-world asset (RWA) tokenization platform, and support the launch of Aqua 1's "Aqua Fund," a UAE-domiciled digital economy investment vehicle backed by regional stakeholders. "Aligning with Aqua 1 validates our blueprint for global financial innovation," said WLF co-founder Zak Folkman. 'We have a joint mission to bring digital assets to the masses and strengthen our nation's standing as a champion and leader of cryptocurrency.' Dave Lee, Aqua 1's founding partner, emphasized WLF's USD1 ecosystem represents a "trillion-dollar structural pivot opportunity" merging traditional finance with decentralized technology. This investment shines another spotlight on WLF's origins and ownership structure, which has drawn intense scrutiny since its launch: WLF was founded in 2024 and is primarily owned by DT Marks DEFI LLC, an entity controlled by Donald Trump and his family, holding approximately 60% (recently reduced from 75%). The Trump family business entity is entitled to 75% of all net revenues from WLF token sales. Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. are actively involved in management, while Barron Trump is listed as the project's "DeFi visionary." Initial co-founders Zachary Folkman and Chase Herro handle day-to-day operations. The Aqua 1 investment, following closely on the Abu Dhabi MGX deal, intensifies concerns among government ethics experts and critics of the Trump administration. They argue that these substantial foreign investments, particularly from nations with sovereign wealth funds and strategic interests, into a company enriching the sitting President's family create significant potential for influence peddling and conflicts of interest. The administration and WLF maintain there are no conflicts, pointing to Trump's assets being in a trust managed by his children.
Bloomberg
11 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Trump's Crypto Project Gets $100 Million From UAE-Based Fund
A little known crypto fund bought $100 million of World Liberty Financial Inc. tokens, the second Middle East-based investor to put money into the Trump family affiliated decentralized finance platform. United Arab Emirates based Aqua 1 Foundation said it purchased the so-called governance tokens, in a joint statement Thursday with World Liberty. The investment will make Aqua 1 the largest individual investor of the Trump-backed digital asset project, surpassing crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun, who's also an adviser to World Liberty.
