Trump Paid UFC Fighters in His Stablecoin Despite Probe Over UAE Ties
On June 14, President Trump’s crypto enterprise World Liberty Financial paid $250,000 in USD1 stablecoin bonuses to UFC fighters on the South Lawn of the White House. The occasion regarded like a sports activities sponsorship, however the firm behind the stablecoin carries a narrative that goes effectively past prize cash.
Trump co-founded World Liberty Financial in 2024. The firm’s USD1 stablecoin, a dollar-pegged token with reserves in US Treasuries and money equivalents, has grown to a market cap of greater than $5 billion since its March 2025 launch and now runs throughout Ethereum, BNB Chain, Tron, and Solana.
What Happened at UFC Freedom 250
World Liberty Financial served because the presenting sponsor of UFC Freedom 250, with the South Lawn because the venue. WLFI contributed $250,000 in USD1 to the Performance of the Night bonus pool, pushing these payouts to $425,000 per winner.
Crypto.com separately backed Fight of the Night, bringing these bonuses to $400,000 every. Combined, 14 fighters competed for roughly $1.65 million in bonuses, a document for a UFC card, and the Performance of the Night winners collected theirs in USD1 on the South Lawn of the White House.
The UAE Connection Behind USD1
The White House showcase arrived whereas Congress was already scrutinizing WLFI’s ownership construction. A UAE agency linked to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s nationwide safety adviser and brother of the UAE president, acquired a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for a reported $500 million.
A separate Tahnoon-linked agency then used USD1 to settle a $2 billion investment in Binance. The House launched a formal probe into potential conflicts of curiosity and nationwide safety dangers, centered on what it means for a overseas state official to personal almost half of a sitting US president’s crypto firm, and for that firm’s stablecoin to now sit at a $5 billion market cap and rising.
On Saturday, UFC fighters collected their winnings in USD1 on the White House. The query Congress has formally dedicated to answering is who else income when these funds settle.
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