World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency company backed by US President Donald Trump, is working with WorldClaw, a Hong Kong based technology venture that provides access to artificial intelligence models developed by several Chinese companies facing scrutiny from the US government over national security concerns.
WorldClaw, which was established earlier this year, operates a platform that allows users to access a range of AI models and pay for the service using World Liberty’s USD1 stablecoin and other cryptocurrencies. The Trump family has a financial interest in World Liberty and therefore benefits from revenue generated through the use of its digital tokens.
A Reuters review found that 43 of the 90 AI models available through WorldClaw were developed by Chinese technology companies, including Alibaba, Baidu and Z.ai. The platform also provides access to models developed by US companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic.
There is no indication that the partnership violates US law. Chinese AI models are also increasingly being used internationally because many are offered at lower costs than comparable US products.
However, technology, trade and government ethics experts said the arrangement raises questions because some of the Chinese companies whose AI models are available through WorldClaw have been targeted by the Trump administration over national security, military links or intellectual property concerns.
Sam Bresnick, a fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, said the arrangement could appear inconsistent with Washington’s efforts to counter the growing influence of Chinese AI technology.
Reuters was unable to determine the precise financial terms of the World Liberty and WorldClaw relationship or establish how much the Trump family has earned from payments made through the platform.
White House Defends Arrangement
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said there were no conflicts of interest involving the relationship and maintained that Trump acts in the interests of the American public.
World Liberty spokesperson David Wachsman described WorldClaw as an independent company and argued that major US technology firms also provide access to both Chinese and American AI systems.
WorldClaw said its platform is designed to help AI companies reach international users and stressed that making an AI model available does not amount to endorsing its developer.
The company also says it is independently owned and operated and is not controlled or managed by World Liberty or its affiliates.
Chinese AI Firms Face US Restrictions
Some of the Chinese companies whose models are available through WorldClaw have been placed under US government restrictions.
Alibaba and Baidu have been designated by the US Department of Defense as Chinese companies considered to have ties to the Chinese military. The designation restricts the Pentagon from conducting business with the companies.
Z.ai, formerly known as Zhipu AI, is listed by the US Department of Commerce under its Entity List, which imposes significant restrictions on the export of US technology to designated entities.
US authorities have also raised allegations involving other Chinese AI developers. Trump administration officials have accused companies including DeepSeek and Moonshot of intellectual property theft involving American AI firms.
The companies have rejected or disputed various US allegations. Alibaba, for example, denied being a Chinese military company and said its inclusion on the Pentagon’s list was unjustified.
Trump Family Promotes WorldClaw
The relationship has received public support from Trump’s two eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, who have promoted WorldClaw on X.
Donald Trump Jr. previously said he would meet winners of a WorldClaw promotional contest at the Trump family’s Mar a Lago club in Florida, while Eric Trump described the partnership as an important development for the future of finance.
The Trump family owns a 38% stake in World Liberty Financial. The company generates revenue from its cryptocurrency products, including the $WLFI governance token and USD1 stablecoin.
WorldClaw accepts USD1 as one of its payment options for access to AI services.
Ryan Fang, World Liberty’s head of growth, has also served as an external adviser to WorldClaw. The company said his involvement has focused on USD1 adoption, partnerships and expanding international access to AI services.
Reuters reported in June that the Trump family had earned more than $1.4 billion from World Liberty token sales, forming the largest portion of the family’s reported cryptocurrency earnings.
Security Concerns Over Chinese AI
WorldClaw’s WorldRouter service acts as an aggregator, giving users access to multiple AI models. The company says its platform has more than 10,000 users and handles more than 50 million requested tasks each day.
The company is also developing an AI agent platform capable of carrying out tasks such as ordering food and summarising emails.
Daniel Remler, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and former US State Department policy adviser, warned that some Chinese AI systems could present security and privacy risks to users.
Potential concerns include government monitoring, censorship of AI generated responses and the possibility of malicious code being introduced into AI agents, he said.
WorldClaw acknowledges on its website that user inputs may be shared with the companies providing the AI models.
The company said it takes privacy and security seriously and has implemented measures intended to protect users and their information.
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