What To Know:
- The T3 Financial Crime Unit has frozen over $300 million in illicit assets since its 2024 launch.
- Recognized by Brazil’s Federal Police, T3 FCU has assisted law enforcement in 23 jurisdictions.
- Tether, TRON, and TRM Labs reaffirm their commitment to global blockchain security and anti-fraud efforts.
The T3 Financial Crime Unit (T3 FCU), a joint initiative by Tether, TRON, and TRM Labs, has surpassed $300 million in frozen criminal assets. This feat marks a major milestone in global efforts to curb cryptocurrency-related financial crimes.
T3 FCU Curbs Crypto Crime; Freezes Criminal Assets
The T3 FCU was launched in September 2024, and is a public–private cooperation in blockchain security. The organization focuses on tracing, disrupting, and dismantling criminal operations that exploit crypto for illicit activity.
In a year, T3 FCU has supported investigations across 23 jurisdictions, spanning the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Its operations have targeted a wide range of offenses, from money laundering and fraud to terrorism financing and organized crime. The unit has gained a reputation for its swift coordination across borders and has made it a critical ally for governments and regulators working to curb crypto crimes.
The Brazilian Federal Police formally recognized T3 FCU’s support in Operation Lusocoin which is one of Brazil’s largest crypto money-laundering investigations to date. The operation resulted in the freezing of more than R$3 billion in illicit assets, including 4.3 million USDT tied to a criminal network. The case sheds light on how collaborative intelligence sharing between exchanges, analytics firms, and law enforcement can lead to meaningful enforcement outcomes.
According to the unit’s internal data, the US accounted for the largest share of support volume, approx $83 million across 37 cases, or 27% of total activity. Other countries, i.e., Spain, Germany, Brazil, Finland, and the UK, also benefited from T3 FCU’s forensic and investigative assistance. The most common crime types involved illicit goods and services (39%), fraud, hacks, and cases linked to North Korea’s cyber operations, which included the $19 million Bybit hack.
T3 FCU analysts have also noted a rise in cases with “wrench attacks”, incidents of physical coercion and violent crime targeting crypto holders. This trend, they say, highlights the urgent need for greater international coordination and rapid response frameworks to protect individuals in high-risk regions.
“Tether is deeply committed to maintaining the integrity of the global financial ecosystem,” said Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether. “Reaching the $300 million milestone shows the real-world power of blockchain in fighting financial crime. We’ll continue working with law enforcement agencies worldwide to ensure stablecoins remain transparent and secure.”
Justin Sun, Founder of TRON, shared the same sentiment, as he spoke on the role of collaboration: “Blockchain can protect as much as it empowers. The T3 FCU’s success proves that when technology, institutions, and people work together, we can build a safer, more inclusive digital economy.”
Esteban Castaño, Co-Founder and CEO of TRM Labs, added that the initiative represents a new model for law enforcement partnership. “No single agency or company can fight financial crime alone,” he said. “T3 FCU shows how joint action and shared intelligence can be scaled globally to deliver real impact.”
The initiative continues to work closely with international agencies, including Europol, on active investigations involving money laundering, investment fraud, extortion schemes, and terrorism financing.
In August 2025, the T3+ Global Collaborator Program was launched to expand these efforts further. Binance joined as the program’s first official member. The exchnage help with improving both cross-border information sharing and the global capacity to identify and prevent crypto-related crime.
Most recently, T3 FCU and T3+ representatives participated in the 9th Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptocurrencies in Vienna. The event, co-organized by Europol and the Basel Institute on Governance, brought together leaders from Tether, TRON DAO, Binance, TRM Labs, and Europol to discuss practical strategies for asset seizure and international cooperation.
Also Read: China Court Jails Five for $166M Cross-Border Crypto Transactions
