Tether froze more than $344 million worth of USDT in coordination with the Office of Foreign Assets Control and US law enforcement agencies, the firm said Thursday.
The action targeted two wallet addresses flagged for connections to unlawful activity, locking the funds before they could be moved.
The freeze followed multiple US authorities sharing intelligence with Tether that linked the wallets to sanctions evasion and criminal networks. Once the addresses were identified, Tether restricted them.
The firm said it maintains a zero-tolerance stance toward illicit use of its products and has long followed OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals list.
“USDT is not a safe haven for illicit activity. When credible links to sanctioned entities or criminal networks are identified, we act immediately and decisively,” CEO Paolo Ardoino stressed.
Enforcement numbers
Tether currently works with over 340 law enforcement bodies across 65 countries. Those partnerships have contributed to more than 2,300 investigations globally, roughly 1,200 of which involve US law enforcement.
The cumulative value of frozen assets has crossed $4.4 billion, with over $2.1 billion tied to American authorities.
The US Department of Justice previously recognized Tether’s involvement in enforcement operations that led to seizures of nearly $61 million and approximately $225 million in separate cases, both connected to “pig butchering” fraud schemes, where victims are groomed over weeks or months into pouring savings into fake investment platforms.
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