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US Seizes $1B Iranian Crypto, Sanctions UK Exchanges

5/30/2026

Summary

Treasury Seizes Crypto

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States seized about $1 billion in Iranian cryptocurrency assets.
Operation Economic Fury froze $344 million of Tether on Tron on April 25 2026 and $100-$150 million on April 29 2026, raising crypto seizures to roughly $500 million.
The Treasury sanctioned UK exchanges Zedcex and Zedxion for moving roughly $1 billion in Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-linked funds since 2023, saying it seeks to deny the regime money for weapons, proxies and payroll.

Summary

Treasury Seizes

U.S. agencies seized about $1 billion in USDT on Tron, repeatedly freezing the wallets.
Tron’s low fees and fast settlement made it Iran’s preferred platform for stablecoin transfers, with founder Justin Sun facing separate U.S. legal scrutiny.
The freezes show U.S. regulators now have mature blockchain-forensics capabilities.
Experts say Tehran may turn to privacy coins or mixers to evade seizures.
The $1 billion seizure could push other sanctioned states to rethink crypto-fundraising.

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Treasury Seizes Crypto

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States seized about $1 billion in Iranian cryptocurrency assets.
Operation Economic Fury froze $344 million of Tether on Tron on April 25 2026 and $100-$150 million on April 29 2026, raising crypto seizures to roughly $500 million.
The Treasury sanctioned UK exchanges Zedcex and Zedxion for moving roughly $1 billion in Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-linked funds since 2023, saying it seeks to deny the regime money for weapons, proxies and payroll.

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