Tether Freezes $13.4 Million in USDT Across 22 Wallet Addresses

Tether Holdings, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin, has once again taken action against suspicious wallets. This time, the company froze $13.4 million worth of USDT spread across 22 addresses on the Ethereum and Tron blockchains, according to data from analytics firm MistTrack.

22 Frozen Addresses, One Holding Over $10 Million

MistTrack’s report revealed that the largest portion of frozen funds was concentrated in a wallet starting with 0xecbd8, which held $10.3 million in USDT.

Another major address, TYzDeb, contained approximately $1.4 million in USDT.

The origins of these funds and the reason for the freeze have not yet been publicly disclosed. Tether has not issued an official statement regarding this latest action, but similar freezes are typically carried out as part of its cooperation with law enforcement and international regulators.

Tether’s Ongoing Global Freezing Operations

This move is not an isolated case. Over the past year, Tether has conducted multiple freezing operations, including: June 2025: $12.3 million frozen on the Tron networkApril 2025: $28.67 million frozen across 13 addressesMarch 2025: $28 million in USDT frozen on Russian exchange Garantex Despite these actions, blockchain analytics firm Global Ledger reported that Garantex still held over $15 million in active reserves, underscoring the complexity and partial effectiveness of such interventions.

Reasons Behind the Freezes: Sanctions, Money Laundering, Cybercrime

According to industry experts, Tether often acts on requests from law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

When these agencies identify wallets linked to fraud, terrorism financing, ransomware, or human trafficking, Tether may be asked to freeze the funds immediately to prevent further movement. The company also takes preventive action by blocking wallets associated with sanctioned entities, darknet markets, and anonymization tools like Tornado Cash.

This approach helps Tether comply with global anti–money laundering (AML) standards and avoid potential legal repercussions.

Frozen Funds Spark Legal Dispute in Texas

Not everyone supports Tether’s freezing practices. Texas-based Riverstone Consultancy has filed a lawsuit accusing Tether of illegally freezing $44.7 million in USDT held in eight of its wallets. According to the complaint, Tether acted at the request of Bulgarian authorities but failed to follow formal international legal assistance procedures under treaty protocols.

Riverstone claims Tether’s actions bypassed official diplomatic channels and caused the firm to miss major investment opportunities. When the company reached out to Tether, it was directed to contact Bulgarian officials directly, but those authorities allegedly never responded.

Over $3.2 Billion in USDT Frozen Globally

In a press release dated September 15, Tether announced that it is now working with more than 290 law enforcement agencies across 59 countries and has frozen over $3.2 billion in USDT linked to criminal activities.

Over the past year alone, it has blocked 3,660 wallets across multiple blockchains.

Tether continues to position itself as an active participant in the fight against financial crime, but it also faces growing criticism for holding centralized control over what is marketed as a decentralized asset.

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