TLDR
- The US Treasury froze more than $130 million held in Iran-linked cryptocurrency wallets.
- OFAC connected the sanctioned wallets to the Central Bank of Iran.
- Tether reportedly froze four Tron wallets containing about $131 million in USDT.
- Onchain analysis linked the addresses to the IRGC and Iran’s central bank.
- Tether has frozen more than $4.4 billion while supporting global law enforcement investigations.
The United States Treasury froze more than $130 million linked to Iran-connected cryptocurrency wallets through new sanctions. Treasury officials said the action targeted wallets connected to the Central Bank of Iran. The move expanded efforts to block digital assets tied to alleged illicit financial activity.
Treasury targets sanctioned cryptocurrency wallets
The Office of Foreign Assets Control designated several cryptocurrency wallets connected to Iran under its latest sanctions program. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the action through a post on X. The designations blocked access to digital assets held in the identified wallets.
.@USTreasury is committed to disrupting and degrading Iran’s illicit financial activities, including its abuse of digital assets. Today, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned multiple wallets tied to the Central Bank of Iran, resulting in the freeze of over $130…
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) July 14, 2026
Bessent said authorities would continue tracking illicit financial networks through digital payment systems. He stated, “We will continue to aggressively follow the money and deny the Iranian regime access to the proceeds of its illicit revenue schemes.” The Treasury did not immediately outline additional enforcement measures beyond the sanctions.
The latest sanctions focused on wallets linked to the Central Bank of Iran, according to Treasury officials. The department said the action aimed to disrupt alleged abuse of digital assets. Federal authorities continue using financial sanctions against identified cryptocurrency networks.
Blockchain analysis identifies frozen funds
Onchain analyst Specter reported that Tether froze four Tron wallets connected to Iran before the Treasury announcement appeared. The wallets reportedly contained about $131 million in USDT. Specter published the findings through a post on X.
Specter linked the addresses to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Central Bank. He also said most funds previously moved through DTC Pay and Bitso before reaching the Iran-linked wallets. He added that the blacklist reason remained unknown when he published his analysis.
Neither Tether nor Treasury immediately released further technical details about the wallet designations. Available blockchain information matched the reported freeze shortly before Bessent’s public statement. Authorities have not announced criminal charges related to the frozen funds.
Previous enforcement actions expand cooperation
The latest action followed earlier freezes involving wallets flagged by American authorities for alleged illicit activity involving Iran. In April, Tether supported freezing more than $344 million across two Tron addresses. The company said authorities identified those wallets during ongoing investigations.
Tether said it works with more than 340 law enforcement agencies across 65 countries. The company also reported freezing more than $4.4 billion in digital assets, including over $2.1 billion connected to United States authorities and Iran-related enforcement efforts. It added that it has supported more than 2,300 investigations worldwide.
The Treasury said the latest sanctions reinforced financial restrictions targeting Iran through cryptocurrency enforcement. Officials indicated they would continue identifying wallets connected to sanctioned entities. The announced designations left more than $130 million in frozen digital assets under the latest enforcement action.
