The T3 Financial Crime Unit has frozen over $450 million in illicit crypto assets as part of its initiatives against financial crimes.
A coalition known as the T3 Financial Crime Unit (T3 FCU), formed by Tether, TRON, and TRM Labs, has successfully frozen more than $450 million in cryptocurrency deemed illicit.
Since its inception in September 2024, this initiative has worked closely with authorities in 23 jurisdictions to tackle crimes associated with digital currencies.
In a notable increase, the unit reported a 43.9% rise in the amount of intercepted funds in 2025. Key collaborations included law enforcement from the U.S., Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Bulgaria.
The T3 FCU focuses on tracking funds related to a range of illegal activities, including thefts from exchanges, cyberattacks, financing for terrorism, and kidnappings. In urgent situations, it can block questionable accounts within a day.
Among the most significant cases was the Lusocoin operation in Brazil, where authorities froze around 3 billion reais, which included 4.3 million USDT. Earlier this year, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) praised the T3 FCU as a vital resource for law enforcement and highlighted its collaboration with the TRM Beacon Network as an effective model against crimes in the cryptocurrency sector.
“Compliance is not an option; it’s part of our commitment to protect users. $450 million is just the beginning,” stated Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino.
TRON’s founder, Justin Sun, emphasized the importance of USDT on TRON for international transactions and noted that ongoing cooperation with law enforcement reinforces security while maintaining blockchain transparency. Meanwhile, Chris Yanchiewski from TRM Labs pointed out that their achievements depend on real-time data and unified efforts between private and public sectors.
Earlier this year, Tether disclosed that it had frozen assets tied to illegal operations amounting to about $4.2 billion.
