Tether Freezes $550M in Iran-Linked USDT Amid Sanctions Concerns
Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin, has claimed that it helped freeze nearly $550 million in Iran-linked funds during 2026. The company says this includes a reported $344 million action in April against the Central Bank of Iran.
The claims come as Senate Democratic investigators released a report alleging that USDT has become a prominent route for Iran to evade sanctions. According to the Senate findings, 84% of 846 sanctioned wallets tied to Iran transacted mostly in USDT.
Tether maintains that USDT is not used as a 'haven' for sanctioned actors, terrorist groups, or criminal networks and points to prior cooperation with U.S. agencies. The company's CEO Paolo Ardoino said law enforcement cooperation has been repeatedly used to trace, freeze, and recover assets.