Tether Assists U.S. OFAC and Law Enforcement in Freezing Over 344 Million USDT as Part of Illegal Activity Investigation

April 23 — Tether announced it has frozen over $344 million in USDT across two addresses, working with U.S. authorities to halt further transfers after the addresses were linked to illicit activity. The move followed information from multiple U.S. law enforcement agencies about the funds’ ties to illegal operations. Tether noted it restricts assets linked to sanctions evasion, criminal networks or other illicit activity at law enforcement requests. Globally, it has partnered with 340+ agencies in 65+ countries, supporting 2,300+ cases and freezing over $4.4 billion total — $2.1 billion of which involves U.S. law enforcement. The stablecoin issuer emphasized it adheres to U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions lists and has a zero-tolerance policy for USDT’s illicit use. Blockchain traceability enables transparent fund movement records, allowing identification and freezing before further transfers, it added. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said USDT is not a safe haven for illicit funds, and the company acts immediately when credible links to sanctioned entities or criminal networks are found. This latest freeze is part of its longstanding cooperation with agencies like the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).