Ripple’s CEO Warns of US Government Actions Against Tether, Tether CEO Accuses His Future Rival of Spreading FUD

As an analyst with a background in financial regulation, I find Brad Garlinghouse’s comments on the potential regulatory scrutiny towards Tether both insightful and concerning. His extensive experience in the crypto industry lends credibility to his assessment of the situation, as he is well-aware of the critical role Tether plays in the market and the potential repercussions should the U.S. government take decisive actions against it.


As a crypto investor, I’ve been closely following the developments surrounding Tether (USDT) and the recent hints from Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse about impending regulatory scrutiny from the US government. In a recent interview on the “World Class” podcast, Garlinghouse raised concerns about the potential disruptive consequences if the U.S. authorities were to take decisive actions against Tether at a time when stablecoin regulations are gaining momentum. With Tether playing a critical role in the crypto ecosystem, I’m keeping a close eye on this situation and monitoring any updates that may impact my investments.

According to Garlinghouse’s perspective, given the latest advancements and regulatory tendencies, it appears clear that Tether is at risk of becoming a focus for regulators. He emphasized the pivotal role Tether plays in the market and predicted the potential far-reaching consequences of strict US regulations not only on Tether but also on the larger cryptocurrency sector.

Ripple is preparing to enter the stablecoin market with its own offering, expected to be launched as early as next month. With this move, Ripple will be going head-to-head against Tether, currently holding a significant market dominance of around 60%.

In response to the accusations, Tether’s CEO Paolo Ardoino strongly defended the company. Ardoino accused Garlinghouse of spreading unwarranted fear about USDT, implying that his statements could be driven by Ripple’s upcoming stablecoin launch and its potential impact on their business. He dismissed such allegations as coming from an “uninformed CEO” of a company under investigation by the SEC.

Ardoino gave an extensive explanation of the safety and compliance measures implemented by Tether. He emphasized that Tether caters to over hundreds of millions of users, predominantly in developing countries where conventional banking services are scarce. For many residents in these areas, USDT functions as both a checking and savings account.

Ardoino highlighted Tether’s commitment to regulatory compliance by discussing several measures in place. He explained that Tether adheres to the OFAC/SDN lists, which are maintained by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control and Specially Designated Nationals List respectively, to prevent prohibited transactions. Additionally, they have a dedicated internal investigation team that works in conjunction with various monitoring tools to scrutinize primary and secondary market transactions. Furthermore, Ardoino mentioned Tether’s collaborative efforts with Chainalysis, which helps ensure advanced compliance measures and training. Tether has an impressive record of working with law enforcement agencies; they have partnered with 124 agencies from more than 40 countries and have voluntarily complied with hundreds of legal requests to obstruct or restrict illicit transactions.

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2024-05-13 12:27