Tether（USDT）因涉嫌犯罪活动而成为美国联邦当局的瞄准目标

美国联邦当局正在审查加密货币公司 Tether 是否涉嫌违反制裁和反洗钱 (AML) 法规。

U.S. federal authorities are investigating crypto company Tether for alleged violations related to sanctions and anti-money-laundering (AML) regulations, multiple individuals familiar with the situation told The Wall Street Journal.

多位知情人士告诉《华尔街日报》，美国联邦当局正在调查加密货币公司 Tether 涉嫌违反制裁和反洗钱 (AML) 法规的行为。

The investigation, spearheaded by the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office, is examining whether the digital currency Tether (USDT) has facilitated unlawful transactions by third parties. These include alleged financing of illicit activities such as drug trafficking, terrorism, hacking, or laundering illegal funds.

这项由曼哈顿美国检察官办公室牵头的调查正在审查数字货币 Tether (USDT) 是否为第三方非法交易提供了便利。其中包括涉嫌资助贩毒、恐怖主义、黑客攻击或洗钱非法资金等非法活动。

The investigation is a significant escalation in scrutiny of Tether, whose stablecoin is the most traded globally. The stablecoin’s widespread use by individuals and organizations subject to U.S. sanctions — including Hamas and Russian arms dealers — has also raised concerns.

此次调查是对 Tether 的审查的重大升级，该公司的稳定币是全球交易量最大的稳定币。这种稳定币被受到美国制裁的个人和组织（包括哈马斯和俄罗斯军火商）的广泛使用也引发了担忧。

Sanctioning Tether would prohibit U.S. citizens and entities from transacting with the crypto company.

制裁 Tether 将禁止美国公民和实体与该加密货币公司进行交易。

Meanwhile, the Treasury Department is considering sanctions against Tether, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

与此同时，《华尔街日报》援引知情人士的话报道称，美国财政部正在考虑对 Tether 实施制裁。

The stablecoin is designed to be pegged one-to-one to the U.S. dollar, making it a potential alternative in areas where the use of American currency is restricted by U.S. authorities.

该稳定币的设计目的是与美元一对一挂钩，使其成为美国当局限制使用美元的地区的潜在替代品。

However, the stablecoin has also become a key financing tool for high-priority national security concerns, multiple law enforcement officials told the Journal.

然而，多位执法官员告诉《华尔街日报》，稳定币也已成为高度优先的国家安全问题的关键融资工具。

The illicit operations allegedly financed with USDT include the nuclear weapons program in North Korea, Mexican drug cartels, Russian arms manufacturers, Middle Eastern terrorist groups, and Chinese chemical producers used in fentanyl production.

据称用 USDT 资助的非法活动包括朝鲜核武器计划、墨西哥贩毒集团、俄罗斯军火制造商、中东恐怖组织以及用于生产芬太尼的中国化学品生产商。

Tether’s interactions with regulators and law enforcement date back several years. In 2021, the Justice Department began investigating Tether over potential bank fraud, specifically examining whether USDT’s backers falsified documents to secure access to global banking services, sources told the Journal.

Tether 与监管机构和执法部门的互动可以追溯到几年前。消息人士告诉《华尔街日报》，2021 年，司法部开始调查 Tether 潜在的银行欺诈行为，特别调查 USDT 的支持者是否伪造文件以确保获得全球银行服务。

The Justice Department investigation was initially limited to potential fraud by a small group of Tether employees, but it has since expanded to include a broader examination of the stablecoin’s use in illicit activities, the Journal reported.

据《华尔街日报》报道，司法部的调查最初仅限于一小部分 Tether 员工的潜在欺诈行为，但后来扩大到对稳定币在非法活动中的使用进行更广泛的调查。

Tether officials have denied the company is broadly involved in aiding criminal activities.

Tether 官员否认该公司广泛参与协助犯罪活动。

“To suggest that Tether is somehow involved in aiding criminal actors or sidestepping sanctions is outrageous,” a Tether representative said, according to the Journal report. They also said the company actively collaborates with both U.S. and international law enforcement agencies “to combat illicit activity.”

据《华尔街日报》报道，Tether 的一位代表表示：“暗示 Tether 以某种方式参与帮助犯罪分子或逃避制裁，这是令人愤慨的。”他们还表示，该公司积极与美国和国际执法机构合作“打击非法活动”。