Circle Shareholders Sue Trump and WLFI, Alleging Profits from UAE-Linked Crypto Transactions

A U.S. federal court on Thursday accepted a lawsuit filed by Joel Greenberg, a former software engineer and shareholder of Circle Internet Group. Citing a Politico report, the plaintiff alleges that World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a cryptocurrency firm co-founded by U.S. President Donald Trump and his family, benefited from two transactions linked to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), potentially violating the U.S. Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause—which prohibits the president from accepting money or other benefits from foreign governments without explicit congressional approval. According to the complaint, the first transaction occurred before Trump’s second term began: WLFI sold 49% of its equity for $500 million, with funds allegedly originating from the UAE. After Trump officially assumed office, he reportedly received millions of dollars in proceeds from this deal. The second