Crypto Today: UAE buys Trump-linked stake; ETH drop; OFAC acts
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Here is a concise briefing on recent developments affecting Bitcoin price action, blockchain, DeFi, NFTs, Web3, and crypto regulation. An Abu Dhabi investment vehicle agreed to acquire 49% of World Liberty Financial for $500 million; Ether’s rapid decline has left a major crypto treasury holder with multi-billion-dollar unrealized losses; and the U.S. Treasury sanctioned two UK-registered crypto exchanges linked to Iran’s financial system.
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UAE-backed investor to purchase 49% of Trump-linked crypto startup for $500M: WSJ
An Abu Dhabi–backed fund agreed to buy nearly half of World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency startup associated with President Donald Trump, days before his return to the White House, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Aryam Investment 1, an Abu Dhabi entity backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, signed an agreement in January 2025 to acquire a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500 million, the Journal said, citing documents and people familiar with the transaction.
Half of the purchase price was reportedly paid at signing, including $187 million directed to entities controlled by the Trump family, with additional tens of millions going to entities tied to co-founders, including relatives of U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, according to the report. The agreement was said to have been signed by Eric Trump. The Journal noted the deal had not been publicly disclosed, even as World Liberty later indicated the Trump family’s ownership had declined significantly.
The anatomy of the deal. Source: WSJ
Ether decline leaves BitMine with billions in unrealized losses
BitMine Immersion Technologies, a publicly listed crypto treasury company associated with investor Tom Lee, is carrying more than $6 billion in unrealized losses on its Ether holdings following the latest market sell-off.
The losses expanded after BitMine acquired 40,302 Ether (ETH) last week, bringing total holdings to more than 4.24 million ETH, according to Dropstab. At current prices, the Ether position is valued at roughly $9.6 billion, down from a peak of about $13.9 billion in October.
Ether’s slide toward $2,300 has been influenced by fragile liquidity. Market commentary from The Kobeissi Letter cited elevated leverage and crowded positioning as factors intensifying the decline.
Source: Dropstab
U.S. Treasury imposes first sanctions on Iran-linked crypto exchanges
The U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned two cryptocurrency exchanges connected to Iran’s financial system, the first time Washington has directly targeted digital asset platforms under its Iran sanctions program.
In a statement on Friday, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said the action is part of a broader effort against Iranian officials and networks accused of violently repressing domestic dissent while using alternative financial channels to circumvent international sanctions.
Those designated include Eskandar Momeni Kalagari, Iran’s minister of the interior, who oversees the country’s Law Enforcement Forces. “Treasury will continue to target Iranian networks and corrupt elites that enrich themselves at the expense of the Iranian people,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
OFAC also designated Babak Morteza Zanjani, a prominent Iranian businessman previously convicted of embezzling billions of dollars in oil revenue from the national oil company. According to Treasury, Zanjani was released from prison and later utilized by the Iranian state to transfer and launder funds, providing financial support to projects linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
This article is intended to provide accurate, timely information. Readers should independently verify key details where appropriate.
#Cryptocurrencies#UAE#Federal Reserve#Senate#Legislation#Donald Trump#Bitcoin Adoption#Bybit#Industry
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