T3 Unit Freezes Over $450M in Illicit Crypto

T3 Financial Crime Unit, a partnership of Tether, TRON and TRM Labs, says it has frozen more than $450 million in illicit crypto assets worldwide since launching in 2024. The unit reports it intercepted 43.9% more illicit proceeds in 2025 than in the prior year while working with law enforcement across 23 jurisdictions.

The unit has cooperated with authorities in the United States, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Bulgaria, among others. T3 FCU identified suspicious transactions and executed asset freezes after receiving requests from global agencies. The group reports it completed some freezes within 24 hours in multiple account takeover incidents and during violent-crime emergencies.

T3 FCU supported investigations into exchange hacks, activity linked to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, terrorist financing and so-called wrench attacks, defined by the unit as home invasions, kidnappings and extortion. The unit also assisted a Brazilian Federal Police investigation, Operation Lusocoin, which froze more than 3 billion reals-about $598.9 million-including 4.3 million USDT tied to an alleged criminal network.

TRM Labs provided data showing illicit actors captured roughly 2.7% of available crypto liquidity in 2025, down from an estimated 2.9% in 2024. TRM Labs also reported that total illicit crypto volume reached a record $158 billion in 2024, an increase of nearly 145% from the prior period.

The Financial Action Task Force designated T3 FCU earlier this year as “an invaluable resource for law enforcement agencies worldwide.” Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino commented: “We take pride in working with regulators and institutions to make blockchain technology more reliable and trustworthy. This $450 million milestone is just the beginning of what T3 is capable of, as its impact will only continue to grow in scale and importance.”

T3 FCU was formed in 2024 to detect, trace and freeze funds tied to criminal activity on blockchain networks and to respond to urgent requests and cross-border investigations.