The United States freezes 344 million dollars in cryptocurrency linked to Iran

Odaily reported that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the Treasury is sanctioning multiple wallets related to Iran and will track and crack down on all financial lifelines connected to the regime. Tether previously announced it had assisted the US government in freezing cryptocurrencies worth $344 million in two addresses. Chainalysis data shows these wallets' activity patterns are consistent with the on-chain fund flow characteristics of wallets belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. US officials said blockchain analysis revealed that the relevant funds were traded via intermediate addresses with wallets associated with the Central Bank of Iran, used to evade sanctions and facilitate international trade. In 2025, Iran's cryptocurrency holdings are expected to reach $7.8 billion, of which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps holds about 50% as of last year's fourth quarter.