In brief
- An OCCRP investigation linked the AB network project to individuals later sanctioned over alleged scam operations.
- World Liberty Financial said it conducted due diligence and denies any association with sanctioned figures.
- U.S. data shows online scams surged in 2025, with nearly $21 billion lost.
A company partnered with World Liberty Financial—the crypto project backed by President Donald Trump—has been linked to individuals connected to a sanctioned Cambodian conglomerate accused of running global scam operations, according to an investigation published Monday by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and Guardian Australia.
The investigation found that a planned “blockchain theme resort” in Timor-Leste tied to the partner, AB network, involved three individuals who were later sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury as part of a crackdown on the Cambodia-based Prince Group. The project, promoted as a luxury destination for cryptocurrency innovators, was backed by a local development company established with $10 million in capital.
Corporate records show that the majority shareholder of the development company was Yang Jian, a Cyprus-based businessman sanctioned in October for allegedly working with Prince Group CEO Chen Zhi on a separate resort project described by U.S. authorities as a “predatory investment.”
The three sanctioned individuals were removed from the Timor-Leste project shortly after the sanctions were announced, and there is no evidence that illicit funds flowed into the development, or that AB network is directly connected to the Prince Group.
The AB network announced its partnership with World Liberty Financial in November, granting it the right to use the company’s U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin USD1 on its blockchain. The collaboration followed a series of high-profile announcements by AB, which has promoted ties to global political figures and listed former world leaders among advisers to its Irish-registered nonprofit arm.
World Liberty Financial, founded in 2024 by partners including companies affiliated with the Trump and Witkoff families, said it had carried out due diligence on AB and was not made aware of the resort, or of individuals linked to the Timor-Leste project. Lawyers for the company told investigators it is “committed to responsible practices and compliance” and said claims of links to sanctioned figures are “unfounded and untrue.”
According to the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report, Americans alone lost nearly $21 billion to online scams last year, with more than 1 million complaints filed. Cryptocurrency-related fraud accounted for the largest share of losses, totaling more than $11 billion across 181,565 complaints.
The Prince Group, a Cambodia-based conglomerate led by Chen Zhi, has been accused by U.S. authorities of operating one of the world’s largest online scam networks, allegedly generating tens of billions of dollars annually through fraud schemes run out of compounds across Southeast Asia.
The U.S. government last year seized $15 billion worth of Bitcoin from Chen in what it described as its largest forfeiture action against online scammers. The company has denied wrongdoing. Cambodian authorities arrested and then extradited Chen to China in January.
The AB network’s corporate structure has remained opaque. It describes itself as a decentralized ecosystem comprising an Irish nonprofit, a Cayman Islands foundation, and blockchain-based entities governed by token holders. The OCCRP‘s reporting identified two previously undisclosed figures—software developer Sui Chenggang and entrepreneur Lin Xiaofan—as key actors within the network.
Lin, who said he played a leading role in the Timor-Leste resort project, denied any connection to the Prince Group. He also said he introduced Sui to World Liberty executives.
Promotional material for the Timor-Leste development was removed from AB’s websites after OCCRP reporters began making inquiries. Lin said the project remains active but that AB is no longer involved, and provided documentation showing the partnership was terminated in November.
Despite distancing itself from the sanctioned individuals, AB continues to promote its partnership with World Liberty Financial and its network of political advisers. The collaboration has so far produced limited uptake of World Liberty’s stablecoin on AB’s blockchain, with a max total supply of around $3.6 million and just over 3,000 holders.
World Liberty Financial did not respond to additional requests for comment.
Editor’s note: This story was updated after publication to move up context about the partnership.
Daily Debrief Newsletter
Start every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.
Source: https://decrypt.co/363617/partner-trump-backed-world-liberty-sanctioned-cambodian-scam-company
