Huoxing Finance reports that on September 28, Tether, the issuer of the stablecoin USDT, stated that actions involving USDT in 2026 have frozen approximately $550 million, with associated wallets identified by U.S. authorities as linked to the Central Bank of Iran and Iran’s sanction network. Tether noted that its cooperation with U.S. and international authorities has supported over 2,900 global investigations, more than 1,600 of which involved U.S. law enforcement agencies. According to Tether, in April 2026, it assisted in freezing over $344 million in USDT from two addresses based on information provided by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and U.S. law enforcement. The following day, OFAC designated these addresses as digital currency identifiers for the Central Bank of Iran, linking the sanctions to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force and Hezbollah. In July 2026, the Treasury expanded its designations to include four additional TRON addresses, resulting in the freezing of over $130 million in USDT across these four wallets. Tether’s CEO, Paolo Ardoino, stated that USDT is not a haven for sanctioned actors, terrorist organizations, or criminal networks, and that public blockchains enable authorities to trace fund flows, allowing Tether to act when law enforcement provides credible information. Tether also noted that it collaborates with over 340 law enforcement agencies across 67 countries, and its wallet freezing policy is aligned with OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list.
Tether Freezes $550M in USDT Linked to Iran
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Summary
On September 28, 2026, Tether announced it had frozen $550 million in USDT linked to the Iranian Central Bank and sanctioned networks. This action aligns with CFT efforts and follows prior freezes in April and July 2026, during which Tether froze $344 million and $130 million in USDT at OFAC-designated addresses. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino reaffirmed that USDT is not a tool for illicit activity, pointing to blockchain transparency. The company collaborates with over 340 law enforcement agencies worldwide to ensure compliance with OFAC and MiCA standards.
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