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Tether CEO implies Circle director misled Congress in ‘desperation’ attack on USDT

Press Releases Crypto News CryptoSlate Tether CEO implies Circle director misled Congress in ‘desperation’ attack on USDT

Stablecoin issuers Tether told CryptoSlate in a Feb. 16 statement that it is actively averting the misuse of stablecoin technology by working with global law enforcement agencies.

The remarks followed comments by Caroline Hill, Senior Director of Global Policy and Regulatory Strategy at Circle, during a House Financial Services Committee hearing titled ‘Crypto Crime in Context Part ll: Examining Approaches to Combat Illicit Activity,’ urging the authorities to scrutinize Tether’s alleged involvement in terror financing.

Hill seemingly attacked stablecoin competitor Tether directly in response to Congressman Wiley Nickel of North Carolina’s questions on Tether, stating,

“I hope they [the Treasury Department] are looking at this seriously, given Tether’s reputation, as well as the data we’ve seen, that they are contributing to terror financing,”

Speaking on this, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said:

“Misleading Congress is a shocking act of desperation and those who do so should be ashamed of themselves. Spouting lies and running in Circles never gets you anywhere.”

Ardoino continued that his company has done more than anyone else to combat illicit crypto activities and remains fully committed to continuing the fight.

US regulators can ‘exert control’ over Tether, JPMorgan says

JPMorgan analysts said American regulatory bodies, particularly the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), ‘exert control’ over Tether’s offshore usage.

The analysts cited OFAC’s sanction on Tornado Cash, a crypto-mixer operating on the Ethereum blockchain, as an example of such controls. In 2022, OFAC sanctioned the protocol for facilitating money laundering, forcing Tether to freeze assets in the wallets subject to the sanctions.

Tether told CryptoSlate that it “follows Treasury OFAC sanctions” and collaborates with law enforcement agencies across several jurisdictions.