Senator Elizabeth Warren has formally asked the US Commerce Department to explain the administration's evolving policy toward the United Arab Emirates, citing two investments that connect the Gulf nation to President Donald Trump's family-backed cryptocurrency venture, World Liberty Financial.

According to a Wednesday CNBC report, Warren sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick requesting justification for granting the UAE expanded access to advanced AI chips. The Massachusetts Democrat's inquiry follows reports that an Abu Dhabi entity backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE's National Security Adviser, invested $500 million in World Liberty Financial in January. Separately, another UAE-linked company, MGX, settled a $2 billion investment in cryptocurrency exchange Binance using World Liberty Financial's USD1 stablecoin.

Sheikh Tahnoon also chairs G42, the UAE's flagship AI company, which partnered with Microsoft in 2024 under an agreement that required G42 to divest from Chinese technology partners. MGX, the firm behind the Binance transaction, was launched as an advanced technology investment vehicle under the G42 umbrella with backing from Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala.

In her letter, Warren stated: "The Department's actions raise significant questions about the potential influence the President's cryptocurrency business interests may be having on the agency's operations and our national security."

Warren's inquiry follows the Commerce Department's decision to reclassify the UAE into Country Group A:5 under US export control regulations, a category generally reserved for close US allies and partners that grants broader access to license-free exports, including advanced semiconductors. The reclassification eases access to the same class of high-performance chips—predominantly NVIDIA GPUs used to train large AI models—that the US has restricted from countries it designates as national security risks. The department also indicated it would "favorably review" license applications involving chips and servers destined for MGX—the same entity behind the $2 billion Binance transaction. The Bureau of Industry and Security, which administers US export controls, published details of the policy shift on its official website.

The probe represents the latest effort by Democratic lawmakers to examine potential foreign influence stemming from crypto-related investments tied to the Trump family. In June, a coalition of senators including Warren called for hearings into the $500 million World Liberty Financial deal. Separately, lawmakers continue to scrutinize President Trump's pardon of former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, who pleaded guilty in 2023 to violating US anti-money-laundering requirements.

World Liberty Financial, a decentralized finance platform launched with ties to the Trump family, has attracted significant international investment interest. Earlier reporting documented UAE-backed firms acquiring stakes in the venture.