- Tether, TRON, and TRM Labs have frozen over $450 million in crypto funds linked to crimes worldwide.
- The T3 Financial Crime Unit collaborated with authorities from 23 countries in conducting their investigations.
- According to TRM Labs, crypto crime hit an all-time high of $158 billion in 2025.
Tether, TRON, and TRM Labs confirmed that their joint T3 Financial Crime Unit has frozen more than $450 million in illicit crypto assets worldwide since launching operations in 2024. The unit said it expanded its cooperation with law enforcement agencies across 23 jurisdictions while responding to investigations tied to exchange hacks, terrorist financing, account takeovers, kidnappings, extortion, and other criminal activity involving digital assets.
According to a Press release on Thursday, the unit recorded a 43.9% increase in intercepted illicit proceeds during 2025 compared with the previous year. Authorities from the United States, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Bulgaria were among the agencies involved in coordinated investigations supported by the unit.
The T3 Financial Crime Unit stated that several emergency cases required rapid action, including incidents involving violent crime and unauthorized account access. The organization reported that suspicious transactions were identified and related asset freezes were completed within 24 hours of requests received from law enforcement authorities.
Tether Chief Executive Officer Paolo Ardoino said the organization continued working alongside regulators and institutions as blockchain-related investigations expanded globally. Ardoino also stated that the latest figures represented an early stage in the unit’s operations.
What Investigations Did the T3 Financial Crime Unit Support?
According to the statement, the T3 Financial Crime Unit assisted investigations connected to exchange breaches, DPRK-linked activity, terrorist financing cases, and wrench attacks involving home invasions, kidnappings, and extortion attempts.
The organization also confirmed participation in Operation Lusocoin, an investigation conducted by the Brazilian Federal Police targeting a criminal network tied to crypto transactions. Authorities involved in the operation froze more than 3 billion Brazilian reals, equivalent to approximately $598.9 million.
Source: Bpay
The operation also included the seizure of 4.3 million USDT connected to the criminal organization under investigation. The Financial Action Task Force earlier this year described the T3 Financial Crime Unit as an “invaluable resource for law enforcement agencies worldwide,” according to the statement released Thursday.
TRON founder Justin Sun stated that USDT activity on the TRON blockchain continued playing a central role in global transaction flows because of the network’s scale and efficiency. He also said collaboration between blockchain firms, industry participants, and law enforcement agencies remained necessary to strengthen network integrity while maintaining blockchain accessibility.
Why the Latest Crypto Crime Data Matters
The latest figures from Tether, TRON, and TRM Labs arrived alongside updated data from TRM Labs showing that illicit actors captured approximately 2.7% of available crypto liquidity during 2025.
Although the percentage declined from 2.9% recorded in 2024, TRM Labs reported that total illicit crypto volume reached a record $158 billion last year. The figure represented an increase of nearly 145% compared with the previous reporting period.
The report indicated that illicit activity continued increasing in scale even as its share relative to broader crypto liquidity slightly decreased. The latest disclosures also followed the release on Friday of separate blockchain monitoring data by security firm BlockSec. According to BlockSec, more than $500 million in USDT was frozen over the past 30 days.
TRM Labs Head of Global Investigations Chris Janczewski stated that the T3 Financial Crime Unit has worked directly with law enforcement agencies since its launch to identify and investigate illicit proceeds moving through blockchain networks.
Janczewski, who previously served as an IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent, stated that coordinated action between blockchain intelligence firms and public authorities remained necessary because digital assets move across networks at high speed and large scale.
Impact on Crypto Enforcement Efforts
The latest enforcement data highlighted growing coordination between blockchain organizations and law enforcement agencies handling crypto-related investigations across multiple jurisdictions.
The T3 Financial Crime Unit stated that its work focused on supporting authorities through transaction analysis, wallet tracing, asset freezes, and investigative coordination tied to suspicious blockchain activity.
The company also noted that their activities had been directly linked with agencies investigating criminal cases that were directly related to cases of violent crimes, financial fraud, and illegal transfer of assets via digital currency.
The revised numbers from Tether TRON TRM Labs revealed a steady increase in blockchain enforcement, driven by more rigorous monitoring of illicit cryptocurrency transactions worldwide.
Areas Blockchain Investigators Need to Keep an Eye On
Some of the main areas gaining more attention from blockchain investigators and law enforcement include:
- Security violations on exchanges
- Terrorist financing investigations
- Account takeovers
- Criminal payment networks
- Large-scale USDT transactions
According to the T3 Financial Crime Unit, it will keep aiding law enforcement agencies investigating blockchain-based suspicious activities and crypto-related crimes.
Conclusion
Tether TRON TRM Labs reported that their joint financial crime unit has frozen more than $450 million in illicit crypto assets since launching in 2024. According to the organization, it has increased its collaboration with international law enforcement agencies to address financial crimes, violent cases, and suspicious blockchain transactions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the T3 Financial Crime Unit?
The T3 Financial Crime Unit is the result of a joint venture between Tether, TRON, and TRM Labs. The initiative is designed to identify illegal crypto funds.
How many crypto funds have been frozen by the T3 Financial Crime Unit from its establishment?
The organization reported freezing more than $450 million in illicit crypto assets globally since launching in 2024.
Which countries worked with the unit?
The unit said it coordinated investigations with authorities from 23 jurisdictions, including the United States, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Bulgaria.
What types of cases were investigated?
The investigations included exchange hacks, terrorist financing, account takeovers, kidnappings, extortion, and DPRK-linked activity.
