Tether Freezes $550M in USDT Linked to Iranian Sanctions Networks
Tether has frozen nearly $550 million in USDT tied to Iranian sanctions networks in 2026, according to the company's statement. This includes a $344 million freeze across two addresses in April and a $130 million freeze across four TRON wallets in July.
The freezes are part of Tether's efforts to comply with US sanctions against Iran. The company works with over 340 law enforcement agencies across 67 countries, supporting more than 2,800 investigations globally, including over 1,500 involving U.S. authorities.
Tether has frozen a total of $4.9 billion in assets across its history, including $2.4 billion connected to US authorities. The company's CEO, Paolo Ardoino, said that public blockchains provide authorities with visibility into fund movements and that Tether can act when credible information is provided by law enforcement.
Tether's freeze practices have been criticized in the past, but the company says its current activity has scaled up substantially, particularly in 2026. This comes as Senator Richard Blumenthal's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released a report arguing that the large majority of sanctioned wallets tied to Iran transacted primarily in USDT and that Tether's freeze practices were inadequate before 2024.