MILESTONE | Tether Freezes Over $300 Million in USDT – The Largest on Record – in Coordination with U.S Law Enforcement

USDT Stablecoin issuer, Tether, has announced it has frozen more than $344 million worth of its USDT tokens in coordination with the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and U.S. law enforcement agencies in one of the largest enforcement actions involving the cryptocurrency to date.

The freeze targeted two wallet addresses identified by U.S. authorities as being linked to suspected illicit activity, including sanctions evasion and criminal networks, the company said. The action was taken after investigators shared intelligence on the wallets preventing further movement of the funds.

Tether said the funds were held on the TRON blockchain and that the move reflects its ongoing cooperation with regulators and law enforcement globally.

Chief Executive, Paolo Ardoino, said the company acts “immediately and decisively” when tokens are tied to unlawful activity, adding that USDT is not intended to serve as a safe haven for illicit use.

“USD₮ is not a safe haven for illicit activity,” said Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether.

“When credible links to sanctioned entities or criminal networks are identified, we act immediately and decisively.

Recent events have shown what happens when platforms fail to move quickly, enforcement breaks down, users are exposed, and trust erodes. Our approach is different. We combine blockchain transparency with real-time monitoring and direct coordination with law enforcement to stop funds before they can move.

That’s a responsibility we take seriously as one of the largest issuers in the market.”

The company said it has worked with more than 340 law enforcement agencies across 65 countries and has supported over 2,300 investigations worldwide. In total, Tether reports freezing more than $4.4 billion in assets linked to illicit activity, including over $2.1 billion tied to U.S. agencies.

“We work closely with law enforcement globally to identify and, upon request, freeze assets to prevent further movement when they are linked to illegal activity or illicit actors.”

The latest action surpasses previous freezes by the company and comes as regulators increase scrutiny of stablecoins and their role in global financial crime enforcement.

Stay tuned to BitKE for the latest crypto regulatory updates globally.

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