Tether Freezes $550M in USDT Tied to Iran Sanctions Networks, Here’s All

Tether has frozen nearly $550 million in USDT linked to Iran-related sanctions networks during 2026 as the company continues cooperation with U.S. and international authorities. The freezes followed requests from law enforcement agencies and actions connected to sanctions enforcement.

The measures involved wallets linked by authorities to Iran’s financial networks. The company also announced plans with Shiga to expand self-custodial wallet services across Africa and the Gulf Cooperation Council region.

USDT Addresses Linked to Iran Come Under Restrictions

Tether froze more than $344 million in USDT across two addresses in April 2026 after receiving information from the Office of Foreign Assets Control and U.S. law enforcement agencies. OFAC later added those addresses as digital currency identifiers linked to Iran’s Central Bank.

In July 2026, Tether froze more than $130 million in USDT across four additional wallets after U.S. authorities expanded sanctions-related designations involving TRON addresses. These actions brought the total amount of Iran-linked USDT frozen during 2026 to about $550 million.

Tether said its cooperation with authorities covers more than 2,900 investigations globally, including more than 1,600 involving U.S. law enforcement. The company also reported work with agencies such as the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and OFAC.

Tether Compliance Partnerships Grow

Tether has also worked with international agencies on cases involving terrorism financing, fraud, and sanctions-related activities. The company has cooperated with Israel’s National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing on cases involving cryptocurrency addresses connected to illicit activity.

In 2023, Tether froze 32 addresses containing more than $873,000 in USDT after coordination with Israeli authorities. The company later reported additional freezes involving more than 22 million USDT across more than 640 addresses linked to cases referred by the same authority.

Tether broader cooperation has helped freeze more than $4.9 billion in assets across different investigations. The company also stated that more than $2.4 billion of those assets involved cases connected to U.S. authorities.

Recent cases include a $225.3 million cryptocurrency seizure investigation supported by Tether, a $61 million fraud-related freeze, and a $52 million action involving alleged scam networks.

Crypto Investigations Rely on Blockchain Transaction Records

Tether has aligned its wallet-freezing process with the OFAC Specially Designated Nationals List. This approach allows the company to restrict wallets identified under U.S. sanctions requirements.

CEO Paolo Ardoino said,

“Public blockchains provide authorities with a level of visibility into the movement of funds that simply does not exist with cash, and Tether can act when credible information is provided by law enforcement.”

Tether’s actions come as governments increase attention on digital assets used in sanctions evasion and financial crime investigations. Authorities continue to examine how blockchain data can support enforcement efforts.

Africa Wallet Expansion Adds New Digital Asset Access

Meanwhile, Tether and Shiga announced plans to develop self-custodial wallets for users and institutions across Africa and the Gulf Cooperation Council region. The products will use Tether’s open-source Wallet Development Kit, known as WDK.

Shiga plans to launch ENTA for individuals, high-net-worth users, and businesses, while Pulse will target banks, fintech companies, and institutional clients. ENTA users will be able to fund wallets using local currency, U.S. dollars, or Bitcoin, then hold and transfer USDT, Bitcoin, and Tether Gold.

Pulse will allow institutions to use wallet infrastructure managed by Shiga or deploy the software within their own systems. The setup gives companies control over keys, data, and transaction signing processes.

Tether invested in Shiga Digital in 2025 as the company developed services involving virtual accounts, foreign exchange, treasury management, and over-the-counter transactions. Shiga said its Nigerian Digital Asset Intermediary license remains under review.