Watchdog Labels Trump’s Crypto Venture ‘American Sell-Out’ for Alleged North Korea, Iran Token Sales
Government watchdog Accountable.US accused President Trump’s World Liberty Financial crypto enterprise of promoting tokens to entities linked to North Korea, Iran, and sanctioned money-laundering platforms in a brand new report titled “American Sell-Out.”
The findings increase nationwide safety issues as Trump’s crypto empire has generated over $1 billion in personal wealth whereas his household ventures develop quickly throughout the digital asset sector.
The report recognized particular transactions, together with a $10,000 buy on Inauguration Day by “Shryder.eth,” a dealer who performed 55 transactions with a Treasury-sanctioned North Korean Lazarus Group pockets.
World Liberty Financial additionally offered almost 3,500 tokens to a consumer who deposited over $26,000 on Iran’s largest crypto trade and controls a pro-Iran social media account posting anti-American content material.
Additional regarding gross sales included over 10,000 tokens to a consumer who engaged with A7A5, described as a Russian “ruble-backed sanctions evasion software” whose creators confronted U.S. sanctions in August 2025.
According to the report, the enterprise additionally offered tokens to a minimum of 62 customers who beforehand utilized Tornado Cash, a crypto mixing service that helped launder over $1 billion in illicit belongings earlier than Trump lifted Biden-era sanctions in March 2025.
Trading Patterns Raise Red Flags Across Enemy Nations
The Accountable.US investigation revealed ‘troubling’ transaction patterns connecting World Liberty Financial token consumers to America’s main adversaries.
On January 20, 2025, consumer “Shryder.eth” bought 666,666 WLFI tokens for $10,000, later receiving an extra $47 in promotional tokens throughout a June airdrop marketing campaign.
Blockchain evaluation revealed that Shryder.eth had beforehand acquired a number of funds from wallets now sanctioned by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control for their affiliation with the Lazarus Group.
This North Korean state-sponsored hacking group was sanctioned by Trump’s first administration in 2019 and added to the FBI’s “Cyber Most Wanted List” in 2020.
Following the Lazarus Group transactions in 2022, Shryder.eth was blocked from mainstream crypto platforms, together with Uniswap and OpenSea.
These companies solely prohibit wallets “owned or related to clearly unlawful conduct like sanctions, terrorism financing, hacked or stolen funds,” in line with Uniswap’s screening tips.
The Iranian connection concerned consumer “0x062,” who bought 3,468 WLFI tokens in October 2024 whereas sustaining over $26,000 in deposits on NoBitex.IR, Iran’s largest crypto trade.
This platform has facilitated sanctions violations and served “a variety of illicit actors,” together with IRGC-affiliated ransomware operators and Hamas-linked networks.
According to the report, the consumer seems linked to an X account, which has reposted pro-Iran content material and threats that U.S. warships “will sleep on the ocean flooring” if America enters the Israel-Iran battle.
Late Compliance Efforts Fail to Address Core Security Gaps
World Liberty Financial solely disclosed blacklisting 5 accounts for “high danger publicity” on September 5, 2025, together with the wallet of Tron’s founder Justin Sun, months after the controversial token gross sales occurred.
The firm didn’t blacklist Shryder.eth till August 31, 2025.
The delayed response got here as Trump’s crypto ventures confronted mounting scrutiny over overseas entanglements.
Trump’s monetary disclosure revealed he personally earned over $57 million from World Liberty Financial, with crypto belongings now comprising 73% of his web value.
The Trump household’s digital empire expanded quickly, rising from 60 to 185 Bitcoin treasury corporations in twelve months whereas producing billions in buying and selling quantity totally on overseas exchanges.
The nationwide safety implications prolong past particular person transactions.
Senator Elizabeth Warren demanded solutions from the Trump administration following the Lazarus Group’s $1.5 billion hack of crypto exchange Bybit, warning that pending GENIUS Act laws might “create a superhighway for Donald Trump’s corruption” with insufficient safeguards.
As of August, Trump Media & Technology Group holds roughly $2 billion in Bitcoin, representing 40% of the corporate’s market capitalization.
However, TMTG shares have persistently underperformed Bitcoin itself, falling 47% over six months whereas Bitcoin gained 10.6% throughout the identical interval.
Most not too long ago, Eric Trump, co-founder of an American Bitcoin mining firm, a Bitcoin mining firm tied to President Donald Trump, saw its stock surge on September 3, boosting their paper wealth by greater than $1.5 billion.
Just like Sen Warren, Accountable.US Executive Director Tony Carrk questioned why the Trump household crypto empire accepts cash from “shady buyers tied to Iran and a infamous money-laundering platform.”
He known as for a congressional investigation into overseas affect channels and the guardrails that forestall presidents and their households from enriching themselves by way of digital belongings whereas sustaining entry to delicate authorities data.
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