Tether has locked $182 million worth of USDT stablecoins in five wallets on the Tron blockchain

Tether Blocks Over $182 Million in USDT on Tron

On January 11, on-chain records revealed that Tether immobilized upwards of $182 million in USDT stablecoins across five separate wallet addresses on the Tron network. This action stands out as one of the most significant single-day enforcement measures on Tron in recent times.

Each of the affected wallets contained between approximately $12 million and $50 million in USDT. All freezes occurred within a single day, indicating a deliberate and coordinated effort rather than isolated events.

This action is consistent with Tether’s self-imposed policy to freeze wallets, a practice the company officially adopted in late 2023 to adhere to the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions requirements.

According to Tether’s terms of service, the company may freeze wallet addresses or disclose user information if requested by authorities or if it determines such measures are necessary.

As the world’s largest stablecoin by market value, USDT is issued and managed centrally, which enables Tether to disable tokens without actually confiscating them. While frozen USDT remains visible on the blockchain, it cannot be moved or exchanged as long as the address is blacklisted.

Currently, over $187 billion worth of USDT is in circulation, representing about 64% of the total global stablecoin supply.