An investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and Guardian Australia, published Monday, reveals that a company linked to World Liberty Financial—a cryptocurrency initiative supported by President Donald Trump—has associations with individuals tied to a sanctioned Cambodian conglomerate involved in global scams. The probe highlights a ‘blockchain theme resort’ project in Timor-Leste associated with AB network, involving three individuals later penalized by the U.S. Treasury as part of actions against the Prince Group based in Cambodia. This luxury venture for crypto enthusiasts was backed by a local development firm set up with $10 million.
The investigation identified Yang Jian, sanctioned in October and Cyprus-based, as the primary shareholder of this development entity. He’s accused of collaborating with Prince Group CEO Chen Zhi on another resort described by U.S. authorities as ‘predatory investment.’ The trio linked to sanctions was removed from the Timor-Leste project soon after sanctions were announced, with no evidence suggesting illicit funds entered the venture or direct ties between AB network and the Prince Group.
In November, AB announced its partnership with World Liberty Financial, allowing usage of the USD1 stablecoin on its blockchain. This followed several high-profile announcements by AB, promoting connections to global political figures and listing former world leaders as advisors to its Irish-registered nonprofit. Founded in 2024 by partners including Trump-affiliated companies, World Liberty Financial stated it conducted due diligence on AB without knowledge of the resort or linked individuals. The company’s lawyers refuted claims linking them to sanctioned figures, emphasizing adherence to responsible practices.
The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report states that Americans lost nearly $21 billion to online scams last year, with cryptocurrency fraud accounting for over $11 billion in losses from more than 181,565 complaints. The Prince Group, led by Chen Zhi and based in Cambodia, faces accusations of running one of the world’s largest scam networks, allegedly earning tens of billions annually through Southeast Asia-based operations. Last year, U.S. authorities seized $15 billion worth of Bitcoin from Chen in a major anti-scam forfeiture action. While denying allegations, Cambodian officials arrested Chen and extradited him to China in January.
AB network’s structure remains opaque, describing itself as a decentralized ecosystem with entities across Ireland and the Cayman Islands governed by token holders. The OCCRP identified Sui Chenggang and Lin Xiaofan as crucial figures within this network. Lin, involved in the Timor-Leste project, denied links to the Prince Group and said he introduced Sui to World Liberty executives.
A new investigation from Aubrey Belford @OCCRP and @GuardianAus reveals a previously unseen photo of Donald Trump Jr., Zach Witkoff, and Jacky Sui meeting in Singapore last October. Despite removing promotional materials for the Timor-Leste development after inquiries, Lin confirmed that while AB has exited the project, it remains active.
AB continues to highlight its World Liberty partnership and political advisors despite distancing from sanctioned individuals. The collaboration has seen limited adoption of World Liberty’s stablecoin on AB’s blockchain, with a total supply of around $3.6 million and approximately 3,000 holders. World Liberty Financial did not respond further when contacted.
Editor’s note: This story was updated post-publication to provide earlier context about the partnership.