Trump-Backed Crypto Firm Ties Up With Venture Offering Restricted Chinese AI Models

World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency firm backed by President Donald Trump and his family, has partnered with Hong Kong-based WorldClaw to provide access to AI models developed by Chinese companies. This partnership raises concerns as Washington has identified several of these companies as national security threats.

The collaboration allows customers to use World Liberty's USD1 stablecoin to pay for WorldClaw services. The Trump family owns a 38% stake in World Liberty, which benefits when customers use the stablecoin. However, experts argue that this arrangement creates tension with the administration's efforts to restrict Chinese technology over national security concerns.

WorldClaw offers access to about 90 AI models, nearly half of which were developed by Chinese firms including Alibaba, Baidu, and Z.ai. The White House claims there are no conflicts of interest, while World Liberty maintains that it operates independently of WorldClaw.