World Liberty Financial Nears Key OCC Approval for Federal Trust Bank Operations

Highlights:

• World Liberty Financial’s OCC Approval could give the company direct control over issuing and managing its USD1 stablecoin.
• Trump and his family receive proceeds from WLFI token sales, drawing attention to the charter review.
• A reported $500 million UAE investment has added another layer of scrutiny around the project.

World Liberty Financial, a crypto project linked to the Trump family, has moved closer to securing a federal trust bank charter that would allow it to issue and manage its USD1 stablecoin under federal supervision. According to a report from NOTUS, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Jonathan Gould could announce a decision on the application in the coming days. Two former OCC officials told the outlet that approval appears likely. One former official described a rejection of the application as unlikely.

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𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗡: World Liberty Financial is reportedly close to receiving approval for a federal trust banking charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). pic.twitter.com/dzv5jVN9LP

— Blockto (@CryptoBlockto) June 17, 2026

World Liberty established a U.S. trust company and submitted its charter application in January. The company filed the application shortly after the OCC granted conditional trust bank approvals to Circle, Ripple, and BitGo. Those approvals marked some of the most significant crypto-related charter decisions made by the regulator this year.

If regulators approve the application, World Liberty could issue and redeem its USD1 stablecoin directly. The company could also manage USD1 reserves under federal supervision. In addition, it could provide digital asset custody services and support settlement and conversion activities. These powers would place key parts of the company’s stablecoin business under a single regulatory structure.

The charter would allow World Liberty to operate under OCC supervision instead of navigating separate state regulatory systems. The company could therefore streamline compliance requirements across its operations. The approval would also remove the need to rely on intermediaries for stablecoin issuance. BitGo currently performs that role for USD1.

Trump Family Ties Draw Congressional Questions Over OCC Review

Lawmakers have scrutinized the application because Trump and his family helped launch World Liberty before the presidential election. Reuters reported on June 9 that the Trump family earned more than $2.3 billion from four crypto ventures since the start of Trump’s second term. According to the report, World Liberty generated the largest share of those earnings.

Senate and House lawmakers have repeatedly questioned whether Trump’s financial ties to World Liberty create conflicts of interest during the OCC review. During a February Senate Banking Committee hearing, Senator Elizabeth Warren challenged Gould over the pending application. Warren argued that conflict-of-interest concerns and national security risks should factor into the regulator’s decision.

World Liberty Financial OCC Approval Faces Broader Regulatory Debate

House lawmakers expanded their review beyond the charter application and examined World Liberty’s stablecoin funding sources and foreign investment ties. Earlier this year, lawmakers opened an investigation into the company’s USD1 stablecoin. The inquiry followed reports linking a $500 million investment from the United Arab Emirates to World Liberty. Reports also connected that investment to a separate $2 billion Binance-related transaction.

🚨 JUST IN: A senior House Democrat opens a congressional probe into Trump-linked crypto project World Liberty Financial (WLFI) after reports of a $500M UAE royal-family-tied investment.

What this means for crypto oversight ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/SFT0NttmtM

— Satoshi Talks (@Satoshi_Talks) February 5, 2026

Questions about foreign ownership have surfaced throughout the review process of the World Liberty Financial OCC Approval. During the February Senate hearing, Warren cited reports that a senior UAE official acquired a significant stake in the venture. She questioned whether those interests appeared in disclosures submitted to regulators. Gould declined to discuss the contents of any pending application. However, he said the OCC follows established review procedures when evaluating charter requests.

Warren later expanded her criticism beyond World Liberty. In a May letter to Gould, she questioned whether several OCC-approved crypto trust banks comply with the National Bank Act. According to Bloomberg, Warren argued that some digital asset firms may conduct activities beyond those permitted under federal banking law.

Gould defended the OCC’s chartering approach and said federal banking law allows certain crypto custody, settlement, and transaction services under proper supervision. He also maintained that the agency reviews applications on a nonpartisan basis and applies the same standards to every applicant.

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