Tether freezes $182 million in USDT on Tron in coordination with US authorities

The move was part of a coordinated operation involving US law enforcement agencies

Tether freezes $182 million in USDT on Tron wallets

12.01.2026 - 11:00

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Key points:

Tether froze approximately $182 million in USDT across five wallets on the Tron network.
The action was carried out using the issuer’s administrative keys.
The operation was coordinated with the US Department of Justice and the FBI.

On January 11, 2026, Tether blocked roughly $182 million worth of USDT held across five addresses on the Tron network. Each wallet contained between $12 million and $50 million. The freeze was executed using administrative controls at the smart contract level.

Источник: X.com

According to the company, the action was taken to comply with legal requirements and anti-money-laundering rules. Industry sources say the operation was coordinated with US authorities, including the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Data from AML analytics providers shows that between 2023 and 2025, Tether froze more than $3 billion in USDT linked to suspected or illicit activity. Analysts note that by the end of 2025, stablecoins accounted for roughly 84% of all recorded illicit activity in the crypto sector.

Critics argue that such freezes highlight the centralized nature of stablecoins and the existence of an issuer-controlled “kill switch.” This sharply distinguishes them from decentralized networks like Bitcoin and continues to fuel debate around trust, control and systemic risk within the crypto ecosystem.

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