Trump Sued Over 'Unconstitutional' $2 Billion UAE Crypto Profits by Circle Shareholder

A significant lawsuit has been filed against U.S. President Donald Trump, alleging widespread crypto corruption. The legal action, initiated by J. Benjamin Greenberg, a shareholder and former employee of digital asset company, Circle, accuses President Trump and his family of illicitly profiting from cryptocurrency ventures while in office.

The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, asserts that a member of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ruling family agreed to channel half a billion dollars into World Liberty Financial, a business backed by President Trump.

This alleged transaction is cited as a direct violation of the U.S. Constitution. Furthermore, the complaint details that an investment fund established by the government of Abu Dhabi supposedly provided President Trump with an additional $2 billion through World Liberty Financial’s USD1 stablecoin product.

World Liberty Financial is described as a decentralized finance project co-founded by President Trump and his sons. The lawsuit states that President Trump ceased his involvement with the project upon taking office in 2025.

The core of the accusation is: “The corruption at issue is not subtle, and it is not hidden. Since returning to office, President Donald J. Trump and his family have built a cryptocurrency business and invited foreign states to route money to him by paying into it. Foreign money has answered.”

Adding to the gravity of the allegations, Thursday’s lawsuit claims that President Trump, in exchange for these crypto investments, allegedly granted Emirati leadership access to advanced artificial intelligence chips and pardoned a convicted felon. These specific details reportedly reference a Wall Street Journal article from February.

The lawsuit criticizes the use of new technology terminology to obscure what it deems “the oldest form of public corruption, a public official taking money from a foreign power,” stating that the president has “corruptly” profited from $2 billion via these deals.

The defendants named in the lawsuit include President Trump, World Liberty Financial, and U.S. Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. This legal challenge emerges amidst a broader context where President Trump has campaigned on supporting the crypto industry and has received substantial financial backing from it.

However, some Washington lawmakers have been critical of how the Trump family has allegedly profited from digital asset ventures, particularly around the time of the blocked Clarity Act legislation.

Despite regulators in the U.S. reportedly pushing for pro-crypto rules, the landmark digital asset legislation, which President Trump had supported, was blocked by lawmakers last month. Several lawmakers reportedly withheld their support forthe Clarity Actdue to concerns that the Trump family had illicitly capitalized on crypto ventures.

President Trump and the White House have consistently denied any conflicts of interest. In August, prior to the Clarity Act vote, President Trump retorted that Democrats criticizing his family’s crypto involvement had themselves profited from stock trading.