Tether briefly freezes 1.45 million USDT across four THORChain TRON vaults
Tether temporarily blacklisted four THORChain vault addresses holding about 1.45 million USDT on the TRON network, halting Tron swaps before reversing the action three hours later.
Stablecoin issuer Tether temporarily blacklisted four THORChain vault addresses on the TRON blockchain on October 9, 2026, freezing approximately 1.45 million USDT and forcing the protocol to halt TRON-related swaps and operations, according to reports by Crypto Briefing and The Defiant.[1][2]
THORChain technical co-founder Chad Barraford said the team received no prior notice or communication from Tether regarding the freeze. Barraford described the blacklist as unprecedented in the industry, warning that the move raised questions for all decentralized finance protocols regarding the asset's safety, while expressing hope that the restriction was enacted due to an error or misunderstanding.[2][3]
About three hours after the freeze, Tether removed all four THORChain addresses from the USDT blacklist at 15:30 UTC with their balances intact, allowing THORChain to restore TRON trading, deposits, and signing. Tether offered no explanation for the freeze, and no connection to any specific crypto theft was confirmed, while 19 other addresses blacklisted in the same sweep remained frozen.[2]
Key facts
- Tether blacklisted four THORChain vault addresses on TRON, freezing roughly 1.45 million USDT and forcing the suspension of TRON swaps.
- THORChain technical co-founder Chad Barraford stated the project had received no prior warning and termed the freeze unprecedented in the industry.
- Tether removed the four vault addresses from the blacklist at 15:30 UTC on October 9, 2026, approximately three hours after the freeze, leaving their balances intact.
- THORChain restored its TRON trading, deposits, and signing services once the blacklist was lifted.
- Tether has not provided a reason for the freeze, and 19 other addresses blacklisted during the same sweep remained on the blacklist.
Sources · 3 sources
- CB
Crypto BriefingArticle ·
Tether freezes four THORChain vaults, halting Tron swaps The incident highlights the vulnerability of decentralized protocols to centralized control, impacting liquidity and trust in DeFi systems. The post Tether freezes four THORChain vaults, halting Tron swaps appeared first on Crypto Briefing .
Open source - WB
Wu Blockchain@WuBlockchainPost on X ·
Tether Temporarily Freezes 1.45 Million USDT in THORChain Vaults on TRON, Reverses Blacklisting After Three Hours The Defiant reported that Tether temporarily blacklisted four THORChain vault addresses on TRON, freezing approximately 1.45 million USDT and forcing THORChain to suspend TRON-related swaps and certain functions. THORChain co-founder Chad Barraford said the team had received no prior notice. About three hours later, all four addresses were removed from the blacklist, with their USDT balances remaining intact, and THORChain subsequently restored the affected services. Another 19 addresses blacklisted in the same batch remained on the blacklist at the time. Tether has not explained the reason for the freeze, and no connection to any specific crypto theft has been confirmed.
Open source - DN
DEGEN NEWS@DegenerateNewsPost on X ·
NEW: @THORChain TECHNICAL CO-FOUNDER @CBarraford SAYS "IT APPEARS THAT USDT HAS CHOSEN TO BLACKLIST THORCHAIN VAULTS OF USDT ON THE TRON BLOCKCHAIN" https://t.co/xUxEuTuSNP
Open source