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Israeli authorities have identified a cluster of crypto addresses they say moved about $1.5 billion in Tether (USDT) that is connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
According to reports, the National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing (NBCTF) of Israel flagged 187 wallet addresses and asked platforms and service providers to take action.
Immediate freezes were limited, and most of the funds appear to have been moved before they could be held.
Israel Names Wallets And Asks For Action
The NBCTF supplied a list of 187 addresses it believes are tied to the IRGC. Tether responded by blacklisting 39 of the flagged wallets, which blocked those addresses from further on-chain transactions.
Reports indicate that only about $1.5 million is presently frozen or held, while the larger sum — roughly $1.5 billion in incoming transfers over time — has largely been shifted through other addresses and services.
Image: MEXC
Questions Remain Over Ownership And Flows
Reports have disclosed that blockchain analytics firms have urged caution about attributing direct ownership of every flagged address to the IRGC.
Companies like Elliptic have said that some wallets could belong to exchanges or third-party services used by many different users, which complicates claims of direct control.
Tracing crypto flows is possible but messy, and the distinction between transaction volume through a wallet and direct ownership matters in legal terms.
How The Funds Were Handled On-Chain
Israeli authorities say they tracked large USDT flows into the flagged network over months. While a small portion was located and frozen, most of the tokens were reported to have been moved before enforcement steps could be completed.
As of today, the market cap of cryptocurrencies stood at $3.96 trillion. Chart: TradingView
Tether’s decision to blacklist some wallets shows one way stablecoin issuers can act, but the moves do not recover funds that have already left the flagged addresses. The situation highlights how quickly assets can be shifted among many addresses.
Why It Matters For Sanctions And Crypto Compliance
According to market and regulatory coverage, the case illustrates the ongoing challenge of stopping sanctioned actors from using crypto to move value.
Stablecoins like USDT are widely used for cross-border transfers, and their scale makes them attractive for many users.
Lawmakers and regulators will likely watch how exchanges, wallets, and issuers respond, since cooperation by private firms can make enforcement more effective.
Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView
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