Trump-backed World Liberty partners with AI firm offering 43 Chinese models

Trump-backed World Liberty Financial is partnering with Hong Kong AI platform WorldClaw, which offers 43 Chinese-developed models flagged by US agencies.

World Liberty Financial, the Trump-backed crypto venture, is partnering with Hong Kong AI platform WorldClaw, which offers 43 Chinese-developed models from companies the US has flagged for national security and intellectual property concerns.

"Making a model available does not constitute an endorsement of its developer," a WorldClaw spokesperson said, adding that the company helps American AI firms reach international users. "This is a common and widely accepted approach," David Wachsman, a spokesman for World Liberty, said, noting that major US technology companies also offer Chinese and American AI models.

WorldClaw provides access to about 90 artificial intelligence models through its WorldRouter service, of which 43 come from Chinese developers including Alibaba, Baidu and Z.ai. The platform also carries models from US companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic. WorldClaw accepts World Liberty's USD1 stablecoin as payment, and the Trump family, which owns 38% of World Liberty, earns revenue from use of its crypto tokens. WorldRouter has more than 10,000 users and handles over 50 million requested tasks daily, WorldClaw says.

The arrangement draws scrutiny because the Trump family has earned more than $1.4 billion from World Liberty token sales, part of roughly $2.3 billion in crypto earnings, and because several Chinese developers face US restrictions. The Pentagon has designated Alibaba and Baidu as Chinese military-linked companies, while the Commerce Department placed Z.ai on its Entity List. WorldClaw also offers models from DeepSeek and Moonshot, which US officials have accused of taking intellectual property from American AI rivals.

Chinese AI models under US scrutiny

Using the Chinese models through WorldClaw is generally legal for US individuals and companies, though certain restrictions can limit direct business transactions involving companies on US government lists. The Pentagon's designation bars the Defense Department from contracting with Alibaba and Baidu, while Z.ai's Entity List status sharply limits its access to US technology and requires American firms to seek an export license that is presumptively refused.

Conflict-of-interest questions

Ryan Fang, World Liberty's head of growth, has served as an external adviser to WorldClaw, which the company described as "strictly advisory" and focused on USD1 adoption and partnerships. Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, co-founders of World Liberty, have promoted WorldClaw on X.

The White House rejected concerns about a potential conflict involving Trump's connection to World Liberty. "There are no conflicts of interest," Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson, said, adding that Trump acts in the interests of the American public.

Experts said the arrangement creates tension with the administration's posture toward Chinese technology. "As the US government tries to respond to the rise and threat of Chinese AI, it seems hypocritical to go out through WorldClaw to use these tools from China to try and make a bunch of money," Sam Bresnick, a fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology, said.

Daniel Remler, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and a former State Department adviser, warned that Chinese AI models available through WorldClaw could expose users to monitoring by the Chinese government, censored outputs and malicious code capable of hijacking AI agents. WorldClaw discloses on its website that user inputs may be shared with the companies providing the underlying AI models.

World Liberty is separately pursuing a national trust bank charter from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, adding a regulatory dimension to its expansion. The financial terms between World Liberty and WorldClaw have not been publicly disclosed.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.