Tether blocks five wallets on the Tron network and freezes over US$ 180 million in USDT

Source: PortaldoBitcoin Original Title: Tether blocks five wallets on the Tron network and freezes over US$ 180 million in USDT Original Link: The issuer of the USDT stablecoin, Tether, has frozen over US$ 182 million in digital assets on January 11, after freezing five wallets on the Tron blockchain.

The affected addresses contained individual amounts ranging from US$ 12 million to US$ 50 million, and all had their transactions halted on the same day, indicating a coordinated action. The freeze prevents the funds from being transferred, although the tokens remain recorded on the blockchain.

In an interview, Tether stated that the freeze is related to an ongoing investigation conducted at the request of law enforcement authorities. According to the company, the investigation has been ongoing for several months and follows globally adopted protocols to combat financial crimes. The company also stated that it regularly cooperates with regulatory agencies and security forces in different countries.

Since December 2023, Tether has maintained an official policy of voluntary wallet freezing, aligned with the guidelines of the U.S. Treasury, including compliance with international sanctions. In its terms of use, the company states that it may block addresses and share information when there are legal orders or when it considers the measure necessary to prevent illicit activities.

Tether’s involvement in such operations has already resulted in the blocking of over US$ 3 billion in USDT over the past years, in collaboration with more than 300 government agencies across dozens of jurisdictions. For U.S. authorities alone, such as the FBI and the Secret Service, the company has assisted in freezing thousands of wallets.

Currently, USDT is the largest stablecoin in the market, with approximately US$ 187 billion in circulation, representing about 64% of the global stablecoin sector.