Trump's Cryptocurrency Project Entangled in Controversy Over $100 Million Investor

US President Donald Trump's cryptocurrency project, World Liberty Financial (WLFI), has found itself at the center of controversy once again. The issue this time revolves around the largest investor in WLFI, Aqua 1 Foundation, and its connections to China and the UK.

Aqua 1 made headlines in June 2025 when it became the largest public investor in WLFI by purchasing $100 million worth of governance tokens issued by WLFI. However, at the time, the true identity behind Aqua 1 remained a secret.

According to recent investigations by Caixin, a China-based financial institution, the person controlling Aqua 1 is Chinese businessman Zhou Guren. Although Guren is not listed as an executive of Aqua 1, he is ultimately the beneficiary.

Zhou's background has raised questions about the source of funding for the $100 million investment in WLFI. According to Caixin, Guren is listed as an unreliable debtor in Chinese enforcement records with tens of millions of yuan in debt across six separate cases.

The report also mentions a money laundering investigation in the UK that links Zhou Guren to the case. Although he has not been convicted, this raises further questions about his involvement in WLFI.