Pakistan has partnered with a company affiliated with Trump-linked World Liberty Financial (WLFI) to explore innovation in digital finance and the use of stablecoins for cross-border transactions.

Pakistan To Explore USD1 For Cross-Border Payments

On Wednesday, Pakistan announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a crypto firm linked to the Trump Family’s main crypto business, World Liberty Financial.

According to a report by Reuters, the Pakistan Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (PVARA) entered an agreement with SC Financial Technologies, a firm described as an affiliated entity of WLFI, to explore the use of its USD1 stablecoin for cross-border payments.

The memorandum is set to enable “dialogue and technical understanding around emerging digital payment architectures,” and was announced during WLFI founder and CEO Zach Witkoff’s visit to Pakistan.

Notably, Witkoff is also the CEO of SC Financial Technologies, which co-owns the USD1 stablecoin brand alongside World Liberty Financial, according to documentation on the stablecoin’s reserves reviewed by the news media outlet.

Under the agreement, the WLFI-linked company will collaborate with Pakistan’s central bank to integrate its USD 1 stablecoin into a regulated digital payments structure. A source involved in the deal detailed that this would allow the token to operate alongside Pakistan’s own digital currency infrastructure.

It’s worth noting that PVARA officials have previously affirmed that the country will launch a national stablecoin as part of its strategy to modernize payments and support tokenized debt. Additionally, the central bank is developing a pilot for a central bank digital currency (CBDC).

“Our focus is to stay ahead of the curve by engaging with credible global players, understanding new financial models, and ensuring that innovation, where explored, is aligned with regulation, stability, and national interest,” said Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.

WLFI Faces New Conflict Of Interest Concerns

The news comes as WLFI faces some scrutiny in the US. On Tuesday, US Senator Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Jonathan Gould, pressing the agency to halt its review of the bank charter application submitted by the Trump-linked company.

On January 7, World Liberty Financial applied with the OCC to operate as a national trust bank purpose-built for stablecoin services in the US. The move is intended to facilitate the issuance of WLFI’s USD1 stablecoin. Moreover, it would allow the crypto company to provide custodial banking services and gain access to national payment networks under the OCC’s supervision.

The democratic senator cited fears she expressed in July, when she told newly appointed Jonathan Gould that “the OCC may soon be in the position where it has to review a stablecoin issuer application submitted by a company directly tied to President Trump and his family and to draft regulations that clearly influence the President’s finances.”

Unlike most of his predecessors, President Trump has not put his crypto ventures in a trust managed by an independent party, an October investigation stated, pointing out that instead, most of his businesses are owned by a revocable trust, of which he is the sole beneficiary, and managed by his son Donald Trump Jr.

According to the Tuesday letter, Warren’s concerns have gone from being “hypothetical,” as Gould reportedly called them, to being a reality. The senator argued that if the application is approved, the OCC would promulgate rules that “influence the profitability of the President’s company” and would also be responsible for “directly supervising and enforcing the law against the President’s company—and its competitors.”

Therefore, Warren requested that the OCC delay World Liberty Financial’s review until US President Donald Trump divests and eliminates all financial conflicts of interest involving himself or his family members and the company.

While a senator presses the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies in 401(k) plans, Bitwise’s CEO has defended the Trump administration’s push to allow digital assets’ inclusion in retirement funds.

Hougan Slams Bitcoin Restrictions In 401(k)s

On Monday, Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan discussed whether 2026 will be the year investors can own Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in 401(k) plans, as the inclusion of digital assets is becoming more common in individual retirement accounts (IRAs).

In an interview, the executive argued that providers are “slow to move,” but noted that the Trump administration’s pro-crypto shift, which removed “what was effectively a ban on Bitcoin from 401(k)s,” has opened the doors.

Hougan pointed out that large firms like Vanguard had strong restrictions but have recently relaxed their stance on Bitcoin investments. He argued that these bans are “ridiculous,” calling BTC “just another asset” that is no more volatile than stocks, such as those of Nvidia.

Does it go up and down? Absolutely. Is there risk in it? Absolutely. But it’s actually less volatile over the last year than Nvidia stock. And you don’t see any rules about banning 401k providers from offering Nvidia stock. That’s not that would seem ridiculous.

Recent K33 Research data showed that Bitcoin recorded the least volatile year in the asset’s history in 2025. Notably, BTC registered its lowest volatility level last year, with just 2.24%.

“So, I don’t know if the 401(k) providers will get all the way to the point of actually putting it in this year. These are very slow moving institutions, but we’re moving in that direction and eventually it’ll be normalized like other assets, which is how it should be treated,” he concluded.

Senator Warren Issues New Warning

Bitwise CEO’s remarks came as Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren reached out directly to SEC chairman Paul Atkins to question how the Commission intends to protect investors from potential financial risks now that crypto investments are allowed in retirement plans.

As reported by Bitcoinist, the Department of Labor (DOL) rescinded in May a 2022 guidance that discouraged fiduciaries from including cryptocurrency investments in 401(k) retirement plans.

Months later, US President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) that aimed to allow more private equity, real estate, cryptocurrency, and other alternative assets in 401(k) retirement accounts.

The EO, signed on August 7, 2025, directed the DOL and the SEC to reduce regulatory barriers that prohibited investments in alternative assets in their defined contribution retirement plans.

In a new letter, the anti-crypto senator shared her concerns, cautioning that allowing Bitcoin and other crypto assets into these accounts could enable significant risks. She listed the “volatility associated with cryptocurrencies, the lack of market transparency, and potential conflicts of interest” as reasons to be cautious about introducing these assets into retirement plans.

She also emphasized that 401(k) plans are a vital source of retirement security for most Americans. Therefore, they should not be treated as a “playground for financial risk” that could put investors in vulnerable positions.

Despite Warren’s warnings, multiple US lawmakers have supported the Trump Administration’s efforts. In September, nine House members asked Atkins to provide “swift assistance” in implementing the president’s executive order and work with the DOL to protect workers.

Later, House of Representatives member Troy Downing proposed a bill to codify Trump’s directive, giving “the force and effect of law” and making it easier for investors to access Bitcoin and other alternative assets in their 401(k) retirement plans.