The National Bureau of Israel for Countering Terrorist Financing (NBCTF) has released a list of 187 cryptocurrency addresses that, according to the agency, are connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran. According to Israeli authorities, these addresses were used to receive a total of $1.5 billion in Tether (USDT) stablecoins.
This is reported by Business • Media
Possibility of Freezing Funds and Tether’s Response
In the event of an official request from Israel, Tether may freeze the funds at the mentioned addresses. The USDT issuer has previously collaborated with law enforcement agencies in various countries to block assets suspected of being linked to criminal activity.
“Crypto assets from these wallets should be confiscated,” stated the NBCTF.
Analysts’ Doubts and Previous Confiscation Experience
The analytical company Elliptic confirmed significant volumes of USDT transfers through these addresses but noted that not all of them are definitively linked to Iranian military or associated entities. Analysts indicate that some addresses may be used by cryptocurrency services that cater to multiple clients.
In July 2025, Tether had already frozen 1.6 million USDT linked to organizations from the Gaza Strip. Earlier, in June, the pro-Israeli hacker group Gonjeshke Darande hacked the Iranian exchange Nobitex, claiming to have stolen $90 million in cryptocurrency, likely connected to the IRGC. At the same time, ordinary users of the platform were also affected.
It is known that the Iranian government actively uses cryptocurrencies to circumvent international sanctions. Last week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office initiated a civil forfeiture of $584,741 in USDT from an Iranian citizen involved in transferring technology to the country’s military structures. Additionally, the IRGC is considered one of the largest Bitcoin miners in Iran.
Tensions in the relationship between Iran and Israel remain high. In June, the two countries engaged in a 12-day armed conflict, significantly impacting global financial markets and the cryptocurrency market. During this period, the price of Bitcoin sharply fell below $103,000, and the total liquidation volume exceeded $1.1 billion.