Tether-Led Crime Unit Hits $100M Milestone in International Crypto Asset Seizures

On Jan. 2, the T3 Monetary Crime Unit (T3 FCU), a collaboration between Tether, Tron, and TRM Labs, introduced that it had handed “a major milestone in its combat in opposition to cryptocurrency-related monetary crime.”

The unit, launched in August 2024, has labored carefully with world legislation enforcement companies to “efficiently intervene in instances involving cash laundering, funding fraud, blackmail operations, terrorism financing, and different severe monetary crimes,” it said.

Freezing Prison Property

“By working carefully with authorities throughout jurisdictions, Tether has been instrumental in freezing prison belongings and making certain that dangerous actors don’t exploit stablecoins like USDT,” stated Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether.

“Criminals now have 100 million causes to suppose twice earlier than utilizing TRON,” stated Justin Solar, founding father of the Tron network, who added:

“T3 FCU’s fast success in freezing prison belongings sends an unmistakable message: in the event you’re utilizing USDT on TRON for crime, you can be caught.”

T3 Monetary Crime Unit Marks Enforcement Victory: $100 Million in Prison Property Frozen Throughout 5 Continents
Learn extra: https://t.co/HReVLYRfxz

— Tether (@Tether_to) January 2, 2025

The T3 Monetary Crime Unit has already analyzed tens of millions of transactions throughout 5 continents, monitoring over three billion in USDT quantity, in line with the announcement.

Chris Janczewski, head of world investigations at TRM Labs, stated surpassing 100 million USDT in frozen belongings is just the start.

“In 2025 and past, as increasingly lawful customers enter the rising crypto ecosystem, it’s extra essential than ever to maintain it protected. T3 is devoted to that mission.”

Are Tether’s EU Woes About to Deepen?

Tether’s market capitalization has began to shrink for the primary time since late 2022, having fallen by three billion USDT from its peak of round $140 billion in mid-December.

The decline in provide could also be on account of deepening issues in Europe as its restrictive Markets in Crypto-Property (MiCA) laws had been activated, elevating uncertainty about USDT’s standing on exchanges within the bloc.

The implementation of MiCA in Europe on Dec. 30 has created an unsure future for stablecoin issuers similar to Tether because the laws don’t make clear whether or not USDT is compliant.

Nonetheless, Ardoino dismissed the concerns as FUD earlier this week because the agency added $700 million price of Bitcoin to its treasury. “Don’t consider the FUD,” he stated earlier than including, “Opponents are simply determined to make you consider issues that don’t exist.”