On March 20, 2025, an important meeting took place between David Sacks, the US Special Advisor on AI and Crypto, and Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Chairman of Abu Dhabi’s investment fund MGX.
This meeting marked significant progress in technological cooperation between the US and the UAE and created new opportunities in artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency.
What Did David Sacks and Sheikh Tahnoon Discuss?
Sheikh Tahnoon is a powerful figure in the UAE. He is the brother of the UAE President and serves as the country’s National Security Advisor. He also chairs MGX, an investment fund established in 2024 to promote AI and blockchain technologies.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sheikh Tahnoon stated that he and David Sacks discussed AI development, the role of digital currencies, and investment opportunities.
“I explored with David Sacks, the Special Advisor on AI and Crypto, the transformative effects of artificial intelligence across various sectors, the expanding role of digital currencies in reshaping financial systems, and the investment opportunities emerging at their convergence,” Sheikh Tahnoon said.
This meeting took place just one week after MGX announced a $2 billion investment in Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. Notably, MGX conducted this investment using stablecoins, making it the largest crypto-based investment transaction ever.
Under Sheikh Tahnoon’s leadership, MGX is emerging as a major AI investor with allocations across various AI sectors. According to The Wall Street Journal, MGX is expected to receive over $50 billion from Sheikh Tahnoon’s personal assets and other sources in Abu Dhabi.
Additionally, MGX is one of the key backers of Stargate, a $100 billion data center project led by SoftBank and OpenAI, announced at the White House. The fund has also invested in OpenAI, Elon Musk’s xAI, and Amazon-backed Anthropic.
This meeting was part of a broader series of diplomatic engagements between the US and the UAE. On March 18, President Trump announced on TruthSocial that he had hosted Sheikh Tahnoon for dinner at the White House. They discussed economic and technological cooperation.
“Discussions also included ways for our countries to increase our partnership for the advancing of our economic and technological futures,” President Trump stated.
Additionally, reports have recently surfaced suggesting that the Trump family is negotiating to acquire a stake in Binance.US. However, CZ, the former Binance CEO, has denied these claims. Meanwhile, World Liberty Financial, a DeFi project linked to the Trump family, has been continuously investing in projects like Avalanche, Mantle, Sui Blockchain, and Movement.
For years, crypto in Africa was synonymous with Bitcoin (BTC). Today, that narrative has flipped, with companies like Yellow Card, a crypto exchange operating in Africa, clearly reflecting this shift.
In an exclusive with BeInCrypto, Yellow Card co-founder and CEO Chris Maurice reveals how it is building a pan-African stablecoin network to leapfrog traditional finance (TradFi). This is amid growing regulatory clarity, collapsing fiat systems, and a remittance revolution.
Stablecoins Are Transforming Africa’s Financial Scene
The pan-African exchange operates in over 20 markets, and Maurice says stablecoins now account for over 99% of its transactions. This makes Yellow Card a bellwether for what might be the most transformative trend in emerging markets finance.
“When we first launched Yellow Card in 2019, people were exclusively buying Bitcoin. Now, the most popular asset is Tether (USDT),” Maurice told BeInCrypto.
As it happened, necessity, not speculation, has driven this evolution. Africa leads the world in peer-to-peer (P2P) crypto trading volume. However, unlike global crypto hubs chasing volatile returns, Africans are choosing stablecoins out of financial survival.
Local currencies are eroding under inflationary pressure in countries like Nigeria, which ranks second globally in crypto adoption (per Chainalysis). Stablecoins offer a reliable store of value and seamless means of cross-border payments.
This is especially critical in a continent with $48 billion annual remittances and persistent banking limitations.
“Stablecoins are solving practical financial services challenges in Africa. People aren’t in love with the tech. They need faster, cheaper ways to move money to survive and thrive,” Maurice added.
Infrastructure Built for the Unbanked
Yellow Card has gone beyond trading services. Its infrastructure integrates mobile money systems (like M-Pesa in Kenya) and local fiat currencies such as the Nigerian naira and Ghanaian cedi. According to the firm’s CEO, this helps onboard users without bank accounts.
By managing compliance, currency exchange, and payments internally, the firm enables businesses to operate without battling unreliable local rails.
“Our mission is to let companies invest, hire, and grow in emerging markets without needing to stress over infrastructure. We’ve built the back office [meaning] cybersecurity, AML, [and] data protection, so they can focus on growth,” he articulated.
The Regulatory Dam Has Broken
Maurice also observed that African regulators kept crypto in limbo for years. In Yellow Card’s view, 2024 marked a tipping point.
“There is regulatory momentum in Africa that is only accelerating. The dam has broken,” he said.
South Africa now classifies crypto as a financial product. It has licensed major exchanges like Luno and VALR. Countries in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), Mauritius, Botswana, and Namibia have followed suit with licensing regimes.
Meanwhile, regulatory incubators are emerging in Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Against this backdrop, Maurice says Yellow Card has actively helped draft legislation in Kenya and supports crypto frameworks in Morocco.
Fighting the Informal Market
Still, challenges remain. In countries like Ethiopia, Cameroon, and Morocco, outright bans have driven users underground into high-risk P2P networks. Yellow Card pushes for frameworks that level the playing field for compliant players.
“We face a lot of competition from companies that don’t maintain high AML standards…A level playing field is all we seek,” he said.
With $85 million in venture funding, Yellow Card is deploying capital into compliance and partnerships. With this, the company positions itself as the go-to infrastructure provider for global firms looking to tap African markets.
From Africa to Emerging Markets Everywhere
Cross-border payments are perhaps Yellow Card’s most powerful use case. The company’s co-founder says its stablecoin-powered rails are helping businesses reduce working capital needs, expand to new regions, and hire faster.
“We’ve had clients tell us we’ve enabled them to scale into new countries and reduce their costs dramatically. That’s real economic impact,” said Maurice.
The company is not stopping at Africa. Its infrastructure extends into other frontier markets, with a wave of strategic partnerships expected in 2025.
“Yellow Card has built a series of easy buttons for developed world companies to expand into complicated, high-growth markets,” he noted.
“Stablecoins are already a standard part of the financial infrastructure in Africa. CFOs and treasurers in traditional industries are now routinely using them to store and transfer value,” he added.
Africa’s crypto market is still small compared to global giants. Nevertheless, as the world shifts from speculation to utility, the continent’s fragmented financial systems may offer a glimpse into crypto’s most impactful use case: economic empowerment. For Yellow Card, the mission is clear and increasingly urgent.
“We’ve built a company for longevity and scale. Crypto adoption in Africa is stablecoin adoption,” Maurice concluded.
In its latest “State of Venus Q4 2024” report, Messari offers a comprehensive analysis of Venus Protocol’s performance over the past quarter. The report highlights the protocol’s impressive growth, key innovations, and strategic advancements, particularly its sustained leadership on BNB Chain and continuous improvements in the DeFi space.
Robust Growth and Market Performance
In Q4 2024, Venus Protocol demonstrated strong performance, maintaining its status as the largest lending protocol on BNB Chain. The protocol continued to see substantial user adoption, with total value locked (TVL) remaining resilient despite broader market fluctuations. The quarter also saw significant improvements in liquidity, borrowing demand, and supply-side growth.
Protocol Enhancements and Security Measures
Venus Protocol made key technical advancements in Q4, enhancing its risk management framework to improve capital efficiency while maintaining robust security. The team introduced new governance proposals aimed at optimizing reserve factors, improving oracle reliability, and refining liquidation mechanics. These updates ensure Venus remains one of the most secure and efficient lending platforms in the DeFi space.
Expansion and Ecosystem Growth
The report highlights Venus’s continued ecosystem expansion, with integrations into new chains and collaborations that strengthen its cross-chain lending capabilities. Additionally, the protocol has deepened its partnerships with leading DeFi platforms to enhance liquidity and utility for its users.
Looking Ahead
With a strong foundation and a clear roadmap for 2025, Venus Protocol remains focused on innovation and sustainability. Future developments include further enhancements to its risk engine, governance refinements, and the potential expansion to additional blockchain networks.
Venus Protocol’s Q4 2024 report underscores its position as a market leader in decentralized finance, reaffirming its commitment to providing a secure, efficient, and scalable lending platform for users worldwide.
Venus Protocol is the leading decentralized lending and borrowing platform on BNB Chain, offering users seamless access to crypto-backed loans, yield generation, and an innovative governance model. By providing a secure, efficient, and scalable DeFi ecosystem, Venus empowers users to maximize their digital asset holdings.
According to Bo Hines, the executive director of the Presidential Council of Advisers on Digital Assets, the Trump administration could consider using tariff revenues to build a national Bitcoin reserve.
It marks a notable shift, given recent indications that revenue generated from gold sales would help fund the Bitcoin reserve.
Trump Tariff Revenues To Fund US Bitcoin Reserve
Bo Hines explained the possibility during recent interviews. He cited the need for the US to act swiftly amid global competition for Bitcoin accumulation.
Speaking to Thinking Crypto on Tuesday, Hines emphasized that the US must compete globally in Bitcoin. He highlighted the creation of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) through budget-neutral means. This, he said, includes novel funding mechanisms such as tariff revenues.
“SBR recognizes the value of what Bitcoin is and how it can be harnessed for the American people. There is a finite number of Bitcoin and I think there will end up being a race to accumulate,” Hines stated.
He reiterated this in an interview with Anthony Pompliano, the founder and CEO of Professional Capital Management. Bo Hines discussed the re-evaluation of tariffs, Bitcoin, and gold during the discussion. He labeled them as key components of the administration’s macroeconomic strategy.
“The strategic reserve is just the beginning. We’re thinking long-term about what assets can empower the American people and insulate us from global shocks,” Hines told Pompliano.
This plan is different from whatRepublican Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming proposed. BeInCrypto reported that she introduced legislation to increase the government’s Bitcoin holdings by selling a portion of the Federal Reserve’s gold.
“We will convert excess reserves at our 12 Federal Reserve banks into bitcoin over five years. We have the money now,” said Senator Lummis back in July at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference.
The notion of using tariff revenue to buy Bitcoin is novel. However, such a move could redefine the role of digital assets in the US economic strategy. It reflects a broader ideological pivot, treating digital assets as more than speculative instruments but as national economic tools.
Crypto advocates responded enthusiastically. Influencer Crypto Rover called the tariff-based Bitcoin acquisition plan “mega bullish,” reflecting wider market sentiment.
Meanwhile, others warn that Trump’s aggressive tariff stance could undermine US Bitcoin mining dominance. Hardware costs and international trade barriers could harm domestic miners, especially if Chinese-made mining equipment is further taxed or restricted.
Despite these complexities, the administration appears undeterred. Hines also hinted at integrating stablecoin legislation and blockchain technology within banking infrastructure. He said this would bolster law enforcement capabilities in crypto and signal a multi-pronged strategy.
As inflation pressures mount and trade tensions with China escalate, speculation is that a more crypto-friendly Fed chair could align monetary policy with the administration’s digital asset goals.
With geopolitical tensions rising and central banks racing to define their digital currency strategies, the US appears to be moving toward a more assertive position.
