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According to FinanceFeeds, five Democratic senators urged the Republican committee chairman on Tuesday to hold a hearing immediately to investigate the reported $500 million investment by the UAE in the Trump family's cryptocurrency company, World Liberty Financial.It is reported that an aide to the Abu Dhabi royal family signed an agreement four days before Trump's inauguration last year to purchase a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500 million, of which $218 million has already been paid to Trump and entities related to his diplomat for Middle Eastern affairs, Steve Witkoff.The senators confirmed that the supporter is UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Since Trump took office in January 2025, his administration has approved several deals favorable to the UAE, including a $1.4 billion arms sale in May 2025 and authorization in November for the sale of over $1 billion worth of 35,000 advanced AI chips to UAE's G42 company.

On June 23, five Democratic senators from the U.S. Senate, including Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal, jointly sent a letter requesting multiple Senate committees to hold hearings immediately regarding the $500 million investment by UAE officials in the Trump family's cryptocurrency project WLFI, to investigate whether this investment influenced the Trump administration's subsequent policy decisions towards the UAE.According to the letter, an agent for a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family signed an agreement with the Trump family to acquire a 49% stake in WLFI for $500 million, with the agreement completed four days before Trump's inauguration. The foreign buyer prepaid $218 million to entities associated with the Trump family and Middle East chief diplomat Steve Witkoff. The deal was reportedly endorsed by UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the senators described this move as "unprecedented in U.S. political history."More concerning is the policy direction following the completion of the deal. The letter lists a series of decisions made by the Trump administration within months of the agreement that were clearly favorable to the UAE: approval of $1.4 billion in arms sales to the UAE; the Treasury Department establishing a "known investor pilot" program, which opened the green light for a fast-track approval process for the UAE that had long been lobbied for by CFIUS; and the Commerce Department lifting chip export restrictions from the Biden era, authorizing UAE AI company G42 to acquire 35,000 Nvidia Blackwell chips, with a transaction amount exceeding $1 billion. However, U.S. intelligence officials reportedly found that G42 had provided U.S. technology that could enhance missile capabilities to China.The senators demanded that Trump administration officials "explain under oath when they became aware of the payments to the president and his chief regional diplomat's family," and provide clarification on how to restore public trust. Currently, neither WLFI nor the UAE government has responded to this matter.

According to Bloomberg, the crypto-friendly digital bank Revolut announced that it has obtained the relevant license approval from the Central Bank of the UAE, and will use this as a starting point to advance its business expansion in the Middle East.

According to official news, International Holding Company (IHC), headquartered in Abu Dhabi, announced that it has completed a transaction worth $30,000,000 (110 million dirhams) using a UAE dirham-backed stablecoin. This marks the first large-scale institutional application of the stablecoin since it received regulatory approval.The transaction used the DDSC stablecoin and was executed on the institutional-grade Layer-2 blockchain ADI Chain developed by the ADI Foundation. Officials stated that this multimillion-dollar transaction demonstrates the operational readiness of the digital currency ecosystem and its ability to handle institutional-level transaction volumes. DDSC was created in collaboration with IHC, First Abu Dhabi Bank, and Sirius International Holding, with technical support from the ADI Foundation. The approval of DDSC by the Central Bank of the UAE earlier this year is part of a broader regulatory push, following the licensing of several dirham-pegged tokens.The CEO of IHC stated in a statement, "This transaction shows that the digital infrastructure in the UAE is active, resilient, and ready to support real institutional financial activities."

According to Businesswire, Kraken's parent company Payward announced that it has received preliminary approval for brokerage, investment, and management licenses granted by the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) in Dubai, UAE, to expand its cryptocurrency business in the UAE.Payward expects to offer spot, margin, and OTC trading, staking services, and Kraken Prime services for institutional clients through locally regulated entities, as well as support for peer-to-peer cryptocurrency asset transfer functionality.

Crypto.com announced that its UAE entity Foris DAX Middle East FZE has obtained a Stored Value Facility (SVF) license issued by the Central Bank of the UAE, becoming the first virtual asset service provider (VASP) in the region to receive this license. With the acquisition of this license, Crypto.com will officially launch its collaboration with the Dubai Ministry of Finance, allowing UAE residents to use crypto assets to pay for government service fees.Related fund settlements will be conducted in UAE Dirhams or in Dirham stablecoins approved by the Central Bank of the UAE. Additionally, after obtaining regulatory approval, Crypto.com also plans to advance the integration of crypto payments with Emirates Airlines and Dubai Duty Free based on this license.

According to Gate market data, the gains of the S&P 500 Index and the Nasdaq 100 Index have quickly narrowed. The UAE Ministry of Defense stated that the air defense system is responding to missile and drone attacks from Iran.

According to Cointelegraph, during the US-Iran conflict, UAE investors chose to buy the dip in AI and digital assets rather than reducing their overall positions.eToro data shows that in the first quarter, UAE users increased their holdings in several software and AI infrastructure stocks that had significantly pulled back in price. eToro market analyst Josh Gilbert stated that the behavior of UAE investors is driven by long-term themes rather than risk aversion, with the most obvious signals appearing in the AI infrastructure and software sector—ServiceNow (+125%), Super Micro Computer (+65%), Adobe (+54%), and Oracle (+38%) all saw significant increases in holdings against a backdrop of market pressure.In terms of crypto assets, Strategy Inc. remains the eighth highest held stock by UAE investors, indicating a continued allocation to crypto-related assets. Deutsche Bank's report on April 13 indicated that this conflict is more likely to strengthen rather than weaken the region's demand for AI, cybersecurity, and sovereign digital infrastructure; however, it also cited reports that the Amazon Web Services data centers in the UAE and Bahrain have been attacked, and the planned 1GW Stargate park in Abu Dhabi is also under threat.The report also noted that sovereign wealth funds in the Gulf region manage approximately $5 trillion in assets by 2025, with Abu Dhabi-related institutions being one of the most active sources of funding in the global AI sector. Local crypto businesses in Dubai are operating normally. HashKey MENA Managing Director Ben El-Baz told Cointelegraph that business remains normal, relying on cloud trading and custody systems; Binance also confirmed that the vast majority of employees chose to stay, but the Token2049 Dubai event has been postponed to 2027.The Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) continues to advance its activity-type regulatory framework. VARA Market Assurance Director Sean McHugh stated that during times of pressure, serious market participants seek the clearest regulatory environment rather than the most lenient jurisdictions.

According to CoinDesk, affected by the situation in the Middle East, Binance is offering its employees in the UAE the option to temporarily relocate to Hong Kong, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok.A Binance spokesperson stated, "In light of the recent regional tensions, we are providing our employees with the option for temporary relocation as a precautionary measure prioritizing employee welfare, to offer flexibility and support during uncertain times." The spokesperson also mentioned that many employees are currently choosing to stay in the UAE, and the company's operations in the UAE remain normal.It is reported that Binance has about 1,000 employees in the UAE, accounting for 20% of its global workforce, and the company's global operations are also supported from Abu Dhabi. This relocation proposal comes after the signing of a ceasefire agreement. The regional conflict, which lasted for about six weeks, has impacted business activities in the UAE. Since the outbreak of the conflict in late February, the UAE has intercepted hundreds of missiles and drones, with another interception occurring on April 8.The conflict in the Middle East has affected several cryptocurrency and major events in the UAE: the TOKEN2049 Dubai summit has been postponed to 2027, the TON Gateway has been canceled due to safety and travel concerns, the Middle East Energy Dubai Exhibition and the Dubai International Boat Show have been postponed, and the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia F1 events, which have sponsorship exposure value for the crypto industry, are also facing cancellation.

According to CCTV News, on April 3 local time, UAE Ministry of Defense spokesman Humaidi stated in a media interview that UAE territory has not been used to launch any attacks against Iran, firmly denying allegations that the U.S. military has launched strikes against Iran from bases within the UAE. Humaidi emphasized that the UAE will continue to focus on defense while "reserving all military options."He also stated that the UAE will not allow its sovereignty and security to be violated and will take all necessary measures to respond to threats.

As Iran intensifies its strikes on key energy nodes, a large natural gas field in the UAE has been ignited. Meanwhile, U.S. President Trump has called on allies to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.The drone attack on the Shah gas field occurred near the border between the UAE and Saudi Arabia. This marks the first time Iran has damaged the country's oil and gas upstream facilities during the conflict. The UAE government stated that operations at the gas field have been suspended, and there were no casualties on site. The gas field is jointly operated by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and Texas-based Occidental Petroleum.Due to multiple drone and missile attacks, the UAE closed its airspace at night. Authorities reported that air traffic returned to normal on Tuesday morning. Just a day before the attack, Iran also struck a fuel depot at Dubai's main airport, causing a massive plume of smoke to rise over the world's busiest international transit hub and leading to a brief disruption of flights.

A fire broke out at a fuel tank facility near Dubai International Airport (DXB) on March 16 local time, initially identified as a drone attack. Flights at Dubai International Airport were temporarily suspended, and Emirates Airlines announced the suspension of operations, with some flights originally scheduled for today being canceled.Today, several flights from China to Dubai were diverted to other airports, including flight EK363 from Guangzhou to Dubai, flight EK303 from Shanghai to Dubai, and flight EK329 from Shenzhen to Dubai, which were diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC). Flight EK307 from Beijing to Dubai was diverted to Muscat. Previously, Chinese airlines had suspended flights to Dubai until the end of the month, with only Emirates Airlines continuing to operate.

According to Cointelegraph, the circulating market value of USDC has risen to about $79.2 billion, nearing its historical high. The market value of this stablecoin has continued to climb from about $70 billion in early February, breaking through $75 billion at the beginning of this month. Rami Al-Hashimi, who claims to be a Dubai analyst, associates this surge in demand with capital outflows from the UAE. He stated that the current demand for USDC on Dubai's over-the-counter (OTC) platforms is difficult to meet, attributing this to the severe fluctuations in the local real estate market.According to him, property prices in Dubai have dropped by about 27% this month. Data from TradingView shows that the DFM Real Estate Index, which tracks listed real estate and construction companies in Dubai, has fallen from a recent high of about 16,800 points to around 11,516 points, a decline of about 31%. Al-Hashimi also mentioned that some property sellers have begun to accept cryptocurrency payments and are offering discounts of 5% to 10% to buyers who pay in BTC.

According to Iranian state media, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that after the U.S. military attacked Iranian islands (Hark Island), U.S. ports, docks, and military bases within the UAE have become legitimate targets for strikes.On the evening of the 13th Eastern Time, U.S. President Trump posted on social media, stating that the U.S. Central Command "just" bombed the Iranian oil export hub Hark Island at his direction, "completely destroying all military targets on the island." Trump mentioned that he did not choose to destroy the island's oil infrastructure. However, he threatened that if Iran or any other country interferes in any way with the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, "I will immediately reconsider this decision."

Due to the situation in the Middle East, Bybit has activated its regular security and business continuity management mechanism (BCP) to ensure the safety and operational stability of the teams in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The company stated that the global system is currently operating stably, and core trading and user assets are not affected. Management is closely monitoring regional developments and will update internal and external communications in a timely manner based on official information.Key arrangements are as follows:Bybit has launched a cross-departmental BCP response mechanism, led by Co-CEO Helen Liu, to confirm the safety status of all UAE employees one by one, establish daily follow-ups and emergency contact mechanisms; provide remote work support, accommodation coordination, co-living arrangements, and medical life assistance;Business arrangements: designated backups for key positions, cross-regional support, office equipped with 8 hours of power backup, and stable operation of systems and user asset security;Personnel arrangements: UAE employees can choose to work remotely or use the office as a protective location, temporary departure can be applied for; overseas employees must report their travel plans and may postpone their return; all transfers of employees planned to be moved to the UAE are temporarily suspended.Helen Liu emphasized, "Employee safety is the top priority," and the company will continue to communicate transparently to ensure business continuity and convey confidence to users and the community.

According to the Wall Street Journal, regional officials have stated that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other Gulf countries are unlikely to endure Iranian strikes in the long term. One possible option is to begin targeting missile and drone launch sites within Iran.UAE Foreign Affairs Advisor Gargash stated, "We should not adopt a passive defense strategy, but rather be more proactive in our defense. We must examine the types of conflicts that are emerging. At the same time, we have certain capabilities ourselves, and our philosophy is that our responses should match the severity of the conflict." On Sunday, the UAE closed its embassy in Tehran and withdrew its diplomats from Iran.

According to market news, due to the sudden escalation of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, Binance has issued an internal security announcement requiring all employees in the UAE to immediately avoid outdoor activities and stay in safe indoor areas.Recently, Iran launched ballistic missiles towards Israeli/U.S. military targets, some of which flew over or were aimed at the UAE. Although most were intercepted by air defense systems, the UAE government issued an emergency safety alert to all residents early this morning.

On the night of February 28 local time, Iran announced a new round of missile strikes against "aggressors." According to reports from the main station, explosions were heard again in Dubai, UAE, and Doha, the capital of Qatar. (CCTV International News)

According to the UAE's state news agency, the relevant authorities handled an incident involving shrapnel falling in a residential area of Abu Dhabi, which resulted in some material damage and the death of an Asian national.