Tether-Led Crime Unit Hits $100M Milestone in Global 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 businesses to “efficiently intervene in instances involving cash laundering, funding fraud, blackmail operations, terrorism financing, and different severe monetary crimes,” it said.

Freezing Felony Belongings

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

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

“T3 FCU’s speedy success in freezing legal property sends an unmistakable message: if you happen to’re utilizing USDT on TRON for crime, you can be caught.”

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

— Tether (@Tether_to) January 2, 2025

The T3 Monetary Crime Unit has already analyzed thousands and thousands of transactions throughout 5 continents, monitoring over 3 billion in USDT quantity, based on the announcement.

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

“In 2025 and past, as increasingly more lawful customers enter the rising crypto ecosystem, it’s extra essential than ever to maintain it secure. 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 3 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-Belongings (MiCA) rules have 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 corresponding to Tether because the rules 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 value 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.”