U.S. Request Leads Tether to Freeze $131 Million in USDT Over Iran Ties.

Tether Freeze and South Korea's Blockchain Plans

According to Мінфін — Крипто/Фінанси: At the behest of American authorities, Tether has frozen $131 million worth of USDT due to alleged connections with Iran. The move came to light after funds were locked across four wallets on the TRON network. The affected wallet addresses are as follows:

• TFQbqaNbmq2xsVor2NbufLkYZvxFC9wC7k
• TJdgB1k6ot3f2nLuZug6D8eD3HavTmzmSK
• TXGHxdYbGy574z5hBu4LNzq9NzjZQ9bhUf
• TAhwhFv3JpK39Nc2m8W5LPCcoTisutiRfp

The frozen amounts break down as $85.47 million, $30.96 million, $12.3 million, and $1.28 million respectively. An updated list of sanctioned entities from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) was released on July 14, 2026.

U.S. and South Korean Initiatives

Meanwhile, the South Korean government has unveiled plans to advance blockchain technology during the latter half of 2026. As part of these efforts, a pilot project for tokenizing government bonds is scheduled to launch in 2027. These steps are part of South Korea's broader push to enact a Basic Digital Assets Act, which aims to create a more effective regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.

Separately, the U.S. government has transferred approximately $288 million in seized cryptocurrency to the Coinbase Prime platform. The confiscated assets include:

• 2,875 BTC (roughly $178 million) from an account belonging to Ryan Farace
• 925.5 BTC (about $57 million) from the BTC-e exchange
• 30,007 ETH (around $53 million) from Bryan Cruickshank

The U.S. government still holds approximately $20.65 billion in crypto assets under its control.

In addition, three mining companies—CleanSpark, BitFuFu, and Canaan—reduced their Bitcoin production in June 2026. This decision comes amid shifting market conditions and is driven by various economic factors. Despite the cutbacks, shares of leading firms in the sector have seen gains.

The Tether freeze highlights growing governmental pressure on crypto firms linked to sanctioned nations.

It also reflects a broader trend of tightening regulatory measures in the cryptocurrency space, which could impact the market in the near future. At the same time, South Korea's blockchain initiatives signal the country's willingness to embrace innovation and regulate digital assets, potentially boosting its investment climate.