Tether confirms cooperation with the US government to freeze over $344 million worth of USDT.

Tether announced that it has supported the U.S. government in freezing over $344 million in USDT across two wallet addresses. This freeze, conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and U.S. law enforcement, aims to prevent further flow of funds. The freeze was based on information provided by multiple U.S. law enforcement agencies that these addresses were linked to illicit activities. Tether stated that it takes freezing measures when wallet addresses are associated with sanctions circumvention, criminal networks, or other illicit activities. This has now become a routine response for Tether to legitimate requests from U.S. and global law enforcement agencies. Tether adheres to a zero-tolerance policy, strongly opposes criminal activity through its financial products, including USDT, and has long followed OFAC guidelines regarding the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. The company works closely with over 340 law enforcement agencies worldwide to help identify and freeze assets linked to illicit activities or wrongdoing, preventing further transfers. Tether has supported over 2,300 cases globally, including more than 1,200 involving U.S. law enforcement, freezing assets totaling over $4.4 billion, of which $2.1 billion is linked to U.S. law enforcement. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated, “USDT is absolutely not a safe haven for illicit activities. We act immediately when there is a credible connection to sanctioned entities or criminal networks. Recent events have shown what happens when platforms fail to act quickly, law enforcement fails, users are exposed, and trust is lost. We do things differently; we combine blockchain transparency, real-time monitoring, and direct coordination with law enforcement to stop the flow of funds. This is a responsibility we take very seriously as one of the largest issuers in the market.” This action is part of Tether's cooperation with U.S. law enforcement. The U.S. Department of Justice has previously confirmed Tether's support in law enforcement operations, successfully seizing nearly $61 million and approximately $225 million in “pork scam” funds. These cases demonstrate that digital assets on public blockchains are not inaccessible as long as issuers and law enforcement agencies cooperate closely.