WLFI Founders Huddle with Binance’s CZ in Abu Dhabi—Crypto’s Next Frontier or Another Sandbox for the Rich?

Behind closed doors in Abu Dhabi’s glittering financial district, WLFI’s brass sat down with Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao—because nothing says ’global adoption’ like a private chat between crypto elites.

The Meeting That Could Move Markets

No agendas were leaked, but insiders whisper this wasn’t just another regulatory handshake. With the UAE fast-tracking crypto licenses, CZ’s presence screams strategic positioning—while retail traders gamble on memecoins.

Adoption or Exclusivity?

WLFI’s blockchain-for-banks pitch aligns suspiciously well with Binance’s recent institutional pivot. Funny how ’democratizing finance’ always starts with yacht meetings.

One thing’s clear: When giants collide, the little guys brace for impact. Will this partnership unlock real-world utility—or just another VIP token launch?

Zhao is expecting traditional media outlets to negate his meeting with WLFI founders

Changpeng Zhao, in his X post, also confirmed he met with WLFI founders. However, he believes the traditional media would negate their meetup. He remarked, “It was great to see our friends Zach Witkoff and Bilal bin Saqib in Abu Dhabi today. I have a feeling the trad media will try to make up some negative story about this. But we keep building.”

Moreover, Bilal bin Saqib, CEO of the Pakistan Crypto Council and one of the meeting’s attendees commented on X, saying they had a great meeting, and added that real work will always speak louder than any headlines.

Many other commentators responding to CZ’s post encouraged the founders to continue building and remain focused on innovation. They even agreed with the former CEO that the media likes to spin negative stories about such interactions, asking them to ignore them.

However, some X users raised concerns about the founders’ meetup, especially given CZ’s history. One X user even argued that Zhao had claimed he was not negotiating deals with any of Trump’s officials, questioning the intent of their meeting with WLFI, which Trump’s family has a stake in.  

Some time back, the Wall Street Journal reported that Steve Witkoff, Trump’s chief negotiator for the Middle East and Ukraine and the father of World Liberty’s co-founder, was working out a deal with Binance on behalf of the Trump family.

Zhao, however, debunked the reports of a potential deal, claiming the Wall Street Journal’s information was inaccurate. He said he had no discussions with anyone on any Binance US deal. He added the WSJ article mirrored the Biden administration’s anti-crypto sentiment.

Zhao and WLFI are working with the Pakistan Crypto Council

Zhao has been working on meeting with crypto leaders and holding discussions on crypto infrastructure and the growing adoption. Earlier this month, he was appointed an advisor to Pakistan’s Crypto Council. 

CZ also recently held talks with Malaysian government officials on how crypto assets can drive economic innovation in the country. Additionally, Kyrgyzstan signed a Memorandum of Understanding with CZ  to build on its blockchain and crypto infrastructure.

In addition, like CZ, World Liberty Financial has ties with the Pakistan Crypto Council. The agency signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with the Council on April 26 to push for blockchain innovation and DeFi integration in Pakistan.

The two have agreed to introduce regulatory sandboxes to test blockchain-based financial products and venture into tokenizing real-world assets such as real estate. They will also expand stablecoin applications for trade and advise each other on blockchain regulatory trends and infrastructure. Bilal Bin Saqib also became an advisor to World Liberty Financial last week.

Cryptopolitan Academy: Tired of market swings? Learn how DeFi can help you build steady passive income. Register Now