// definition
USDT
Tether
Short definition
A stablecoin issued by Tether that targets one US dollar per token. Direct redemption through Tether is subject to eligibility, verification and minimum-amount requirements. The issuer retains freezing powers, including over tokens held in a personal wallet.
risk atlas
Knowledge map
Intuition
Holding the keys to a USDT wallet leaves the token’s rules and its issuer’s powers in place.
Why it matters now
The September 14, 2026 US complaint concerning funds allegedly linked to Iranian oil describes a seizure through destruction and replacement of tokens.
Related analyses
- Stablecoins: from tokens to available dollarsReserves, fees, redemption delays and rights by issuer channel.
- Iranian oil and USDTFreezing, seizure and the powers Tether retains.
- USDT on Tron and OFAC evasionStablecoins, sanctions and geopolitical payments.
Related guides
- Stablecoins and the GENIUS ActReserves, licensed issuers, audits and supervision.
- Reading on-chain dataAddresses, reserves, flows and the limits of interpretation.
Related datasets
- catalog.jsonMachine-readable catalogue of l0g surfaces.
- claims.jsonClassified claims with their evidence level.
- evidence-graph.jsonClaims, evidence and their sources as a graph.
- risk-diff.json1, 7 and 30-day diff of signals, sources and models.
Signals using it
- Risk DiffRecent change in risk and source freshness.
- Black Box RecorderHashed frames to replay a point-in-time state.
Primary sources
- Congress.gov & GovInfoLegislative texts, including the GENIUS Act and US crypto policy.
- U.S. Treasury Fiscal DataT-bills and short debt serving as stablecoin reserves.
- SEC EDGARDisclosures of listed issuers and crypto-exposed companies.
- Federal Reserve & FREDShort rates, dollar liquidity and risk-free assets.
- Tether: direct-channel feesMinimum redemption and fee schedule checked September 30, 2026.
- Tether token termsSections 2 and 4.1: freezing, reserves and direct-redemption conditions.
- Manhattan prosecutors’ complaintSeptember 14, 2026, p. 3, footnote 1: planned seizure mechanism.