Wall Street Journal Alleges Tether Faces Federal Scrutiny; Tether CEO Dismisses Claims as ‘Old Noise’

As a seasoned analyst with over two decades of experience in the financial sector, I have witnessed numerous investigations into financial institutions and their practices. The ongoing scrutiny of Tether by U.S. authorities for potential breaches of anti-money-laundering laws and sanctions is not an unusual event in this fast-evolving digital economy.


According to reports from The Wall Street Journal, U.S. officials are examining Tether for possible violations of anti-money laundering regulations and sanctions laws. This information was provided in an article written by Angus Berwick, Vivian Salama, and Ben Foldy, which was published today.

According to sources, the investigation being conducted by the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office (led by them) is looking into allegations that third parties have possibly used Tether’s stablecoin for illegal financial activities. Additionally, it has been suggested that the Treasury Department is considering imposing sanctions on Tether due to its popular cryptocurrency. If these sanctions are implemented, they would prohibit Americans from engaging in business with Tether.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, the stability of Tether’s digital currency, USDT, which is pegged 1-to-1 with the U.S. dollar, has emerged as a significant issue for American regulators and law enforcement agencies. Unlike other digital currencies that can be volatile, the stability of USDT makes it an appealing alternative to the U.S. dollar in regions where the use of U.S. currency is limited. With daily trading volumes approaching $190 billion, Tether continues to be the most traded cryptocurrency globally and plays a pivotal role in various national security challenges, as previously reported by the Journal.

The Wall Street Journal article additionally noted that the U.S. Justice Department’s examination of Tether has been going on for several years, initially concentrating on claims that certain Tether supporters might have fabricated documents to secure entry into the international banking system. Tether asserts they haven’t found any evidence of a wider probe, brushing off allegations of criminal involvement as baseless.

According to the WSJ report, Tether said in a statement:

It’s completely unfounded to imply that Tether assists criminals or circumvents sanctions. In fact, we are highly committed to working closely with U.S. and global law enforcement agencies in the fight against illegal activities. Our efforts in this regard have been made evident on numerous occasions in public forums.

Tether is stepping up its surveillance of its digital currency, stressing that the transparent nature of its blockchain records helps deter illegal activities and aids law enforcement agencies in tracking funds.

Recently, Tether has strengthened its surveillance capacities by teaming up with analytical companies like Chainalysis and TRM Labs. This collaboration aims to improve transaction supervision. Moreover, the firm managed to freeze 1,850 digital wallets and recovered a total of $114 million in assets during the last month.

In reaction to this tale, Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, stated on the social media site X that it was false information.

According to what we’ve shared with the Wall Street Journal, there’s no sign that Tether is currently being investigated. The Journal seems to be repeating outdated rumors. Period.

— Paolo Ardoino 🤖🍐 (@paoloardoino) October 25, 2024

In their Q2 2024 Verification Statement, published on July 31, 2024, Tether Holdings Limited, audited by BDO, confirmed the reliability of their financial and reserve statements. The report underscores Tether’s ongoing financial robustness, revealing a record net profit of $1.3 billion for Q2 2024, adding significantly to a staggering $5.2 billion total profit for the first half of the year. This impressive performance emphasizes the solid foundation of Tether’s income stream, largely supported by investments in traditional asset classes such as U.S. Treasuries.

One significant milestone highlighted in the report is Tether’s extraordinary control over US Treasury bonds, which climbed to a staggering $97.6 billion by June 30, 2024. This places Tether among the leading global custodians of US debt, with a total rank of 18th and a third place in the acquisition of 3-month US Treasuries. Notably, only the United Kingdom and the Cayman Islands are ahead in this regard. The expanding popularity of Tether’s USDt token hints at its potential to claim the title of the largest holder of US Treasuries in the near future.

The Group’s equity rose by $520 million in Q2 despite a $653 million unrealized loss due to declining Bitcoin prices, which was partially offset by a $165 million gain from gold investments. As of June 30, 2024, Tether’s consolidated net equity stood at an impressive $11.9 billion.

Tether reaffirmed its dedication to openness and consistency, keeping a substantial reserve of approximately $5.3 billion to uphold its token’s stability. According to their report, Tether’s assets outweigh its obligations by more than $5.3 billion, underscoring its robust financial standing. In the recent quarter, Tether generated over $8.3 billion in USDt and is investing these earnings into strategic initiatives to strengthen its ecosystem, thereby reinforcing its dominance within the stablecoin market.

As an analyst, I’m excited to report on the latest Q2 2024 findings for Tether. Here’s a quick summary as of June 30th:

— Paolo Ardoino 🤖🍐 (@paoloardoino) July 31, 2024

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2024-10-25 22:33