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

On January 2, the T3 Financial Crime Unit (T3 FCU)—a partnership between Tether, Tron, and TRM Labs—announced it has achieved a significant milestone in combatting cryptocurrency-related financial crime.

Established in August 2024, the unit has collaborated effectively with global law enforcement to intervene in cases of money laundering, investment fraud, blackmail, terrorism financing, and other major financial offenses.

Freezing Criminal Assets

“Working in close cooperation with authorities across various jurisdictions, Tether has played a crucial role in freezing criminal assets, ensuring that malicious actors cannot exploit stablecoins like USDT,” remarked Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether.

Justin Sun, founder of the Tron network, added: “Criminals now have 100 million reasons to reconsider using TRON.” He further commented:

“The swift success of the T3 FCU in freezing criminal assets sends a clear message: if you’re engaging in crime using USDT on TRON, you will be caught.”

T3 Financial Crime Unit Celebrates Enforcement Victory: $100 Million in Criminal Assets Frozen Across Five Continents
Read more: https://t.co/HReVLYRfxz

— Tether (@Tether_to) January 2, 2025

The T3 Financial Crime Unit has analyzed millions of transactions across five continents, monitoring over $3 billion in USDT volume, according to the announcement.

Chris Janczewski, head of global investigations at TRM Labs, indicated that exceeding $100 million in frozen assets is only the beginning.

“As we move into 2025 and more legitimate users enter the expanding crypto ecosystem, ensuring its safety becomes increasingly vital. T3 is committed to this mission.”

Are Tether’s Challenges in the EU Intensifying?

Tether’s market capitalization has begun to decline for the first time since late 2022, dropping by $3 billion from its peak of around $140 billion in mid-December.

This supply reduction may be linked to growing concerns in Europe, where the implementation of its strict Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulations has raised uncertainty regarding USDT’s status on exchanges within the region.

Since MiCA’s enactment in Europe on December 30, the future of stablecoin issuers like Tether remains uncertain, as the regulations do not specify whether USDT is compliant.

Nevertheless, Ardoino downplayed these concerns earlier this week, referring to them as FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) after the company boosted its treasury by $700 million in Bitcoin. “Don’t believe the FUD,” he stated, adding, “Competitors are simply desperate to persuade you of nonexistent threats.”