The T3 Financial Crimes Unit, the cryptocurrency task force, announced it had frozen $300 million in tainted funds in its first year of operation, earning praise from international law enforcement and demonstrating that the stablecoin industry is capable of policing itself.
Founded in late 2024 by stablecoin issuer Tether, the Tron blockchain, and blockchain intelligence platform TRM Labs to wipe out stablecoin activity on Tron, the unit has evolved into a global enforcement model for blockchain security, marking a shift in the way the cryptocurrency industry handles compliance and accountability.
The unit monitors trade and coordinates high-profile seizures, including proceeds from “pig butchering” scams and European organized crime networks. Its investigations now span five continents, and it was recently recognized by the Brazilian Federal Police for its role in Operation Lusocoin, a major money laundering bust, highlighting how public-private collaboration is reshaping financial crime prevention in cryptocurrencies.
“Tether works with more than 280 law enforcement agencies around the world and is deeply committed to maintaining the integrity of the financial ecosystem,” USDT Issuer CEO Paolo Ardoino said in a release.
This $300 million milestone follows a series of major execution achievements since the unit’s inception in September 2024.
By January 2025, T3 had frozen $100 million in illegal USDT, including $3 million related to North Korean networks, and exceeded the $250 million threshold by August while launching the T3+ Global Collaborator Program.
The initiative, which involves exchanges and industry stakeholders collaborating in real time with law enforcement, began with Binance and has already led to the freezing of $6 million related to the pig slaughter scam.
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