Tether Freezes $182M USDT Across Five Tron Wallets After Agency Request

TLDR

Table of Contents

Tether froze $182M USDT across five Tron addresses following a law enforcement request
USDT freezes total over $3B globally, aiding agencies in 62 jurisdictions
Tether’s freeze volume is 30x higher than Circle’s USDC freezes since 2023
Stablecoins accounted for 84% of all illicit crypto transactions in 2025

Tether has frozen over $182 million in USDT across five wallet addresses on the Tron blockchain. The action follows a formal request from law enforcement and reflects Tether’s wallet-freezing policy introduced in December 2023 to support sanctions enforcement.

Wallet Freeze Follows Law Enforcement Request

Tether froze over $182 million worth of USDT across five Tron blockchain wallet addresses on January 11, 2026. The action came after a formal request from law enforcement, according to a Tether spokesperson. On-chain data from Whale Alert confirmed that the blocked wallets held between $12 million and $50 million each.

“This freeze is in connection with an ongoing investigation,” the spokesperson said. “Tether regularly works with global law enforcement and supports lawful investigations.” The company said the relevant agency has been investigating the matter for several months.

Tether froze over $182 million in USDT within the last 24 hours, targeting five Tron-based wallets (with individual amounts ranging from $12 million to $50 million); the specific triggers remain undisclosed. Chainalysis data indicates that stablecoins accounted for 84% of illicit…
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) January 12, 2026

The enforcement occurred under Tether’s wallet-freezing policy, which was introduced in December 2023. This policy supports compliance with the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list.

Part of Growing Global Compliance Strategy

Tether stated that it may freeze wallet addresses either when ordered to do so or when it finds it reasonable and necessary. The company also shares user information with law enforcement as part of its compliance efforts.

Since implementing this voluntary policy, Tether has frozen over $3 billion worth of USDT globally. The company has worked with more than 310 law enforcement agencies across 62 jurisdictions. According to its July 2025 update, Tether assisted U.S. agencies in freezing over 2,380 wallets, totaling $1.14 billion in USDT. Agencies included the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service.

The January 11 wallet freeze is one of the larger single-day enforcement events Tether has carried out on the Tron blockchain.

Tether’s Activity Outpaces Stablecoin Competitors

According to a December 2025 report by AMLBot, Tether’s USDT freeze activity since 2023 is nearly 30 times higher than Circle’s USDC freezes. Circle has frozen approximately $109 million in USDC during the same time period.

Tether’s USDT remains the largest stablecoin in the market, with more than $187 billion in circulation. It accounts for 64% of the total $292 billion stablecoin market, according to data from The Block.

By comparison, Circle’s USDC has a total supply of nearly $75 billion, making it the second-largest stablecoin.

Stablecoins Are a Major Part of Illicit Crypto Transactions

Chainalysis reported that stablecoins represented 84% of all illicit crypto transaction volume in 2025. The report estimated that illicit crypto transactions totaled around $154 billion that year, based on lower-bound figures.

Tether’s role in freezing assets has expanded due to these trends. The company says it actively monitors addresses linked to illicit activity or those under sanctions. While its policies are voluntary, Tether states it acts in line with legal standards when responding to formal requests from law enforcement.

With ongoing investigations and rising scrutiny over crypto-related crime, Tether’s wallet-freezing actions continue to draw attention from regulators and industry observers.