Tether says it helped freeze nearly $550M in Iran-linked USDT in 2026
In brief
- Tether said it helped authorities freeze nearly $550 million in Iran-linked USDT during 2026.
- Tether cited an April freeze of more than $344 million linked to the Central Bank of Iran.
- Senate PSI Democratic investigators alleged USDT is a key channel for Iranian sanctions evasion.
- Senator Richard Blumenthal urged Treasury and Justice to investigate potential sanctions violations.
What Tether disclosed
Tether laid out its numbers in a statement on Monday, saying it's been working closely with international law enforcement for years. The top-line figure is nearly $550 million in Iran-linked USDT frozen this year (Tether's wording is that it helped authorities do it).
It gave two more specific figures. Tether said it froze more than $130 million in USDT across four wallets this year, and that in April it froze more than $344 million linked to the Central Bank of Iran.
The company also gave a wider tally. It said its cooperation with authorities globally has led to more than $4.9 billion in assets being frozen, including more than $2.4 billion connected to US authorities. All of these figures come from Tether, as reported by Cointelegraph.
What Senate investigators allege
Democratic investigators on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released a report alleging USDT had become a key channel for Iran to evade sanctions. Their central data point is that 84% of 846 crypto wallets sanctioned over ties to Iran had transacted exclusively or nearly exclusively in USDT, according to the investigators.
Those are allegations, and they come from one side of the subcommittee.
They've also drawn a political response. The findings prompted US Senator Richard Blumenthal to call on the Treasury and Justice departments to investigate potential sanctions violations. For now that's a request from a senator, and Tether's statement was published the same day.
Tether's response
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino rejected the idea that the stablecoin is a safe place for illicit money.
“Tether has consistently demonstrated that USDT is not a haven for sanctioned actors, terrorist organizations or criminal networks,” said Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino.
Ardoino said the DOJ, FBI, Secret Service, HSI and OFAC (along with authorities around the world) have repeatedly worked with Tether to trace, freeze and recover assets. That's the CEO's account as Cointelegraph reported it. None of those agencies has commented in the reporting.
Frequently asked questions
How much Iran-linked USDT did Tether say it froze in 2026?
Tether said it helped authorities freeze nearly $550 million in Iran-linked USDT during 2026. It also said it froze more than $130 million across four wallets this year, and more than $344 million linked to the Central Bank of Iran in April. Cointelegraph reported the figures from Tether's statement.
What did Senate investigators allege about USDT and Iran?
Democratic investigators on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released a report alleging USDT had become a key channel for Iran to evade sanctions. They found that 84% of 846 crypto wallets sanctioned over ties to Iran had transacted exclusively or nearly exclusively in USDT.
What did Senator Blumenthal ask for?
The subcommittee findings prompted US Senator Richard Blumenthal to call on the Treasury and Justice departments to investigate potential sanctions violations. Tether's disclosure came the same day he called for an investigation into the stablecoin issuer.
