ether has taken steps to comply with U.S. sanctions by freezing the USDT holdings associated with addresses listed by regulators.
The move has implications for how stablecoins balance compliance and open access.
Background on Tether Freeze
In early December, Tether announced it had frozen USDT token holdings belonging to 161 Ethereum wallet addresses sanctioned by OFAC.
This action aligned the stablecoin issuer with the U.S. government list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs).
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said freezing previously and newly added addresses would "strengthen positive stablecoin usage and promote ecosystem safety."
The company aims to prevent potential misuse of USDT and expand cooperation with authorities.
Extent of Frozen Funds
Of the 161 addresses, most did not contain USDT balances at freeze time. Only 11 held over 3.5 million USDT between them, with one wallet storing 3.4 million alone.
The remaining amounts ranged from 16 cents to 60,000 USDT.
Two days before, one now-frozen wallet transacted over 400,000 USDT through intermediaries not covered by the sanctions.
This highlights challenges in fully blocking access to funds on public blockchains.
Balancing Compliance and Access
With a $63 billion market cap and $10 billion daily trade volume, Tether seeks to maintain stability through measures like this.
However, some argue it sets a concerning compliance precedent that could lead to further censorship.
Geographic tracing is difficult, so frozen actors may still access holdings.
Tether must navigate open blockchain ideals while satisfying regulators overseeing its centralized stablecoin operations.
Long-Term Impact Unknown
By aligning with OFAC, Tether aims to promote wider USDT adoption. But the efficiency of this freeze remains unclear as funds could flow through alternate means.
Stablecoins must balance compliance and the decentralized spirit of cryptocurrencies. Only time will tell the approach's long-term results.
