Trump-backed World Liberty Financial, the crypto venture the Trump family launched in 2024, is collaborating with Hong Kong-based WorldClaw, an artificial intelligence platform offering 90 AI models, Reuters reported Monday. A Reuters review found that 43 of those models come from Chinese developers, including Alibaba, Baidu, Z.ai, DeepSeek, and Moonshot. WorldClaw also accepts World Liberty's USD1 stablecoin as payment, linking the Trump family-backed crypto firm directly to the platform's services. U.S. experts warn that the arrangement may create national security risks involving Chinese AI models and user data.

Chinese AI Models Under U.S. Restrictions

Several of the Chinese developers behind models offered on WorldClaw are subject to U.S. restrictions tied to national security concerns. The Department of Defense has designated Alibaba and Baidu as Chinese military-affiliated companies, a designation that blocks the Pentagon from doing business with them. Z.ai, formerly known as Zhipu AI, appears on the Commerce Department's entity list, a listing that restricts access to U.S. technology and generally requires export licenses.

The designations reflect a broader U.S. campaign to limit China's access to advanced AI technology, which has expanded from export controls on high-end chips to measures targeting individual model developers. Congress barred DeepSeek from federal government devices in a December 2025 spending law, and a number of states restrict the app on government devices.

Reuters also reported that Trump administration officials have accused DeepSeek and Moonshot of stealing intellectual property from U.S. AI companies. Moonshot has disputed those allegations, while Alibaba has rejected its military designation.

USD1 Links World Liberty to WorldClaw

WorldClaw accepts USD1 as payment for access to its AI models. The stablecoin, launched in March 2025, is backed by assets including U.S. Treasury securities and has grown into one of the larger dollar-backed tokens. The Trump family owns 38% of World Liberty and receives a portion of the interest earned on the USD1 reserves. According to Reuters, token sales have generated more than $1.4 billion for the family.

World Liberty executive Ryan Fang serves as an external adviser to WorldClaw. His role covers USD1 adoption, partnerships, and wider access to AI services. Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump have also promoted WorldClaw on X. Reuters said it could not determine the companies' financial arrangements.

Officials Reject Conflict Concerns

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said there are no conflicts involving World Liberty and WorldClaw. World Liberty spokesman David Wachsman described WorldClaw as independent. WorldClaw said that offering a model does not constitute an endorsement of its developer, and noted that it helps American AI firms reach international users.

Experts, however, raised concerns about potential risks. Sam Bresnick of Georgetown University said the arrangement conflicts with U.S. efforts to address Chinese AI. Daniel Remler, a former State Department policy adviser, cited risks of Chinese government monitoring and malicious code. WorldClaw says user inputs may be shared with the companies that provide its models.

Such scrutiny is not new for the family's crypto business. Democratic lawmakers have previously called for investigations into World Liberty's dealings, and conflict-of-interest questions surrounding Trump-linked crypto ventures featured in last year's debate over the GENIUS Act, the federal stablecoin law that now sets reserve and disclosure requirements for issuers of dollar-backed tokens such as USD1.