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Tether Says It Helped Freeze $550M in Iran-Linked USDT
On Monday, Senate Democrats on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's Permanent Subcommittee on Intelligence published a report alleging Tether's USDT stablecoin facilitates Iranian efforts to skirt international sanctions.
Last year, Iranian interests conducted an estimated $2 billion in USDT transactions, with the report stating "USDT has become a significant financial lifeline within Iran's shadow banking network."
Tether has "repeatedly failed" to block illicit wallets, the report claims, allowing terrorist organizations such as Hamas to shift from Bitcoin to promoting USDT.
In a blog post Monday, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the company supported nearly $550 million in "Iran-linked" freezes while maintaining coordination with United States authorities.
The Senate investigation suggests "cryptocurrencies are actively undermining the attempts of the United States and its allies to prevent the Islamic Republic's regional terrorism.