- Tether has frozen about $4.2 billion in USDT linked to illicit activity, with $3.5 billion of that total blocked since 2023
- The stablecoin issuer recently helped the U.S. Justice Department freeze nearly $61 million tied to pig-butchering fraud schemes
Tether, the El Salvador-based stablecoin issuer, has reported freezing around $4.2 billion worth of its tokens over links to illicit activity, reflecting growing pressure on the crypto sector from global law enforcement. The company, which runs the world’s largest dollar-pegged stablecoin, has taken most of these actions in the past three years as authorities intensify efforts to curb criminal use of digital assets. The latest disclosures highlight both the scale of Tether’s role in the crypto ecosystem and its increasing interaction with regulators and investigators targeting fraud, money laundering and other financial crimes.
Scale of Tether’s Stablecoin Operations
Tether oversees a dollar-pegged token, USDT, that has expanded significantly in recent years. There are now more than $180 billion of these tokens in circulation, compared with about $70 billion three years ago. That growth has occurred alongside a broader surge in stablecoin use, particularly for trading between different cryptocurrencies and platforms.
Stablecoins are mainly used as a bridge asset on exchanges, allowing traders to move in and out of positions without converting back into traditional currencies. As trading activity has grown, stablecoin volumes have climbed and Tether’s footprint in the market has widened. With that expansion has come greater scrutiny from authorities concerned about how such tokens can be misused for crime, hidden transfers, or sanctions evasion.
A specific feature of Tether’s system is its ability to remotely freeze tokens in user wallets. When requested by law enforcement, the company can block the movement of particular holdings on the blockchain. This mechanism has become a key tool in recent enforcement efforts, allowing investigators to lock suspected funds even when they are held in private wallets rather than on centralised exchanges.
Law Enforcement Actions and Frozen Funds
Tether’s latest figures indicate it has blocked a total of around $4.2 billion in tokens tied to suspected criminal or prohibited activity. According to a company spokesperson, $3.5 billion of that amount has been frozen since 2023, suggesting a marked acceleration in law enforcement cooperation in the last few years.
This week, Tether said it assisted the U.S. Department of Justice in freezing nearly $61 million in USDT that investigators linked to “pig-butchering” fraud schemes. These scams involve perpetrators building seemingly genuine personal or romantic relationships with targets before persuading them to transfer funds into fraudulent investments or platforms. By freezing the related tokens, authorities aim to limit the scammers’ ability to cash out proceeds or move them across borders.
The company has earlier stated that it blocked wallets connected to human trafficking networks, as well as to activities described as “terrorism and warfare” in Israel and Ukraine. These measures indicate that Tether is acting not only on U.S. requests but also in situations linked to conflict zones and cross-border crime. In another case, sanctioned Russian crypto exchange Garantex said last year that Tether had blocked funds held on its platform, underscoring how sanctions enforcement is intersecting with stablecoin usage.
These actions show how Tether’s control over its token contracts can be used to support investigations. At the same time, they underline the extent to which stablecoins have become embedded in a range of illicit schemes, from investment fraud to human trafficking and sanctions breaches.
Global Concerns Over Crypto and Illicit Finance
Regulators and international bodies have for years expressed concern that cryptocurrencies can facilitate illegal financial flows. Markets for digital assets typically operate with fewer mandatory checks than traditional banking, raising fears that criminals can exploit them to obscure the origin and destination of funds.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global standard setter for anti-money laundering rules, last year urged countries to step up enforcement in crypto markets. Its call reflected a view that existing oversight and compliance efforts were lagging behind the rapid growth and sophistication of digital asset activity. For states that have yet to fully apply its recommendations to crypto businesses, FATF has warned that gaps in supervision create opportunities for abuse.
Research published in January by blockchain analysts highlighted the scale of the challenge. Money launderers received at least $82 billion in cryptocurrencies last year, up sharply from just $10 billion in 2020. The rise was attributed in part to expanding activity among Chinese-speaking groups, pointing to regional clusters of organised crime making extensive use of digital assets.
Stablecoins such as USDT play a central role in this landscape because they offer a way to move value quickly while holding a token that tracks a fiat currency. This makes them attractive both to legitimate traders and to illegal networks seeking speed and liquidity. As their use has surged, so too has the volume of suspicious activity routed through them, prompting firms like Tether to face increased expectations from authorities.
Tether’s Role in a Changing Regulatory Environment
Tether’s ability to freeze tokens positions it at a critical junction between decentralised markets and traditional law enforcement. When authorities identify wallets suspected of being involved in fraud, trafficking or sanctions violations, they can ask the company to render those tokens unusable. This adds a layer of control that does not exist for all cryptocurrencies and may influence how regulators approach different digital assets.
The sharp increase in frozen funds since 2023 suggests that investigative agencies are more frequently turning to Tether as part of their strategies to disrupt criminal networks. It also reflects a broader environment in which stablecoin issuers are expected to demonstrate active compliance programs, including monitoring for suspicious activity and responding promptly to official requests.
At the same time, the volume of frozen tokens — $4.2 billion in total — shows the scale of illicit or high-risk flows passing through the stablecoin ecosystem. Much of that value may remain locked for extended periods, depending on legal proceedings and investigations. These freezes can prevent immediate misuse of funds, though they also raise questions about the balance between enforcement capabilities and the expectations of users who treat stablecoins as programmable cash.
For Tether, cooperation with law enforcement appears to be an integral part of its strategy as its token supply has expanded from roughly $70 billion to more than $180 billion over three years. The company’s actions will likely remain under close observation by international watchdogs and national regulators as they assess how private issuers contribute to, or help control, risks from digital asset markets.
Conclusion
Tether’s disclosure that it has frozen about $4.2 billion of its stablecoins linked to illicit activity illustrates how central the company has become to efforts to curb crypto-related crime. With most of those freezes occurring since 2023, and recent cooperation with the U.S. Justice Department on nearly $61 million tied to “pig-butchering” schemes, the stablecoin issuer is increasingly entangled in law enforcement operations worldwide. At the same time, rising volumes of laundered cryptocurrency and warnings from bodies such as the FATF show that illicit finance remains a significant concern. As Tether’s token supply continues to grow and authorities intensify scrutiny, the company’s role in monitoring, blocking and reporting suspicious activity will remain a focal point in debates over the regulation and use of stablecoins.
Disclaimer
The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. The article does not offer sufficient information to make investment decisions, nor does it constitute an offer, recommendation, or solicitation to buy or sell any financial instrument. The content is opinion of the author and does not reflect any view or suggestion or any kind of advise from CryptoNewsBytes.com. The author declares he does not hold any of the above mentioned tokens or received any incentive from any company.
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