Recently, the crypto circle has been discussing the issue of exchanging USDT for fiat currency, especially the problem of bank card freezes, making everyone anxious. To be honest, I have been trading contracts and spot for two or three years, using WeChat, Alipay, and bank cards, but I have never had my card frozen, and I haven't even received a risk control call from the bank. A few days ago, someone privately messaged me: "How do you dare to use a domestic account to receive money? Aren't you afraid of being investigated?" The key point is very simple — I never go through the OTC exchanges.

Last month, I encountered a living example. A friend wanted to save trouble and asked an exchange to cash out 20,000 USDT. As a result, the account the other party used for the transfer was involved in telecom fraud, and the card was judicially frozen just half an hour after the money arrived. They are still cooperating with the police to take a statement. Such incidents are too common in the circle, and the main problem lies in the funding chain. The money the exchange gives you may come from illegal activities, money laundering, or even funds from P2P scams. Once this money is flagged by the anti-fraud system, your account could be frozen for a few days at best, and at worst, designated as a "related account," requiring you to go through the police, bank, and anti-fraud center to unfreeze it, which can take two to three months.

Many people think that using Alipay and WeChat is more discreet than bank transfers, but they are completely wrong. Last year, a major exchange's OTC merchant was shut down, and the police locked onto over a thousand related accounts through WeChat transaction records, even ordinary users were summoned for investigation. Now, third-party payment and bank data are fully integrated, and every transaction is scanned in real-time by AI risk control. What's more troublesome is that there is almost "zero tolerance" for abnormal transaction flows in China. An exchange merchant I know was arrested last year, and the police extracted 10GB of transaction records from his phone, restricting all user accounts that exchanged USDT through him from non-counter transactions, with some even affected in their mortgage repayments.

My own method is relatively secure. First, I choose platforms that hold US MSB licenses, with the entire flow of funds being regulated. I first convert USDT to USD/HKD, then withdraw to an overseas bank account, completely avoiding the domestic banking system to evade anti-money laundering monitoring. Last week, I used compliant platforms like BiyaPay to cash out 5,000 USDT, first converting it to USD, then choosing "wire transfer to a Hong Kong account," and the money arrived the next day. The platform also provides proof of the funding path, so if questioned by the bank, I can directly present compliance exchange certificates.

Ultimately, the core logic of cashing out USDT is to legitimize and make the flow of funds transparent. Instead of worrying and gambling on luck, it's better to use compliant tools to add a layer of insurance for yourself. Making money in the crypto world is already difficult enough; there is no need to let the basic risk of a frozen bank card ruin the profits.