Tether Assists U.S. Law Enforcement in Freezing Over $344 Million in USDT Related to Illegal Activity Investigation

On April 23, Tether announced that it has frozen over $344 million in USDT assets across two addresses in coordination with the U.S. government. This action was executed after the relevant addresses were identified to prevent further fund transfers. The freeze was based on information provided by multiple U.S. law enforcement agencies regarding funds linked to illegal activities. Tether stated that when a wallet is identified as being associated with sanctions evasion, criminal networks, or other illegal activities, the company will restrict the flow of related assets in accordance with law enforcement requests. Currently, Tether collaborates with over 340 law enforcement agencies in 65 countries, having supported more than 2,300 cases involving a total of over $4.4 billion in frozen assets, of which approximately $2.1 billion is related to U.S. law enforcement. Tether emphasized its adherence to the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list rules and its ‘zero tolerance’ approach to the use of USDT for illegal activities. The company noted that the traceability of blockchain allows for transparent records of fund flows, enabling identification and freezing before further transfers occur. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated that USDT is not a haven for illegal funds and that immediate action will be taken upon discovering credible links to sanctioned entities or criminal networks. This freeze is also seen as part of Tether’s long-term cooperation with institutions such as the U.S. Department of Justice. Previous reports indicated that Tether froze approximately 344 million USDT held in two addresses on the Tron blockchain.