The world’s largest stablecoin issuer has frozen 326 wallets containing $435 million worth of Tether (USDT) for U.S. authorities, a Dec. 15 letter from the company said. The assets are frozen to assist law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Secret Service.
The letter, addressed to Senator Cynthia M. Lummis and Congressman J. French Hill, was followed by another letter sent to politicians on November 16. The letters are all in response to an Oct. 26 letter Lummis and Hill wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland outlining their concerns about the use of stablecoins for illegal activities such as money laundering and terrorist financing.