Stablecoin issuers can freeze USDC and USDT without the holder's key
- —The USDC contract has seven roles, including blacklister and pauser, all controlled by Circle
- —Tether said on April 23, 2026 it helped freeze $344 million across two addresses
- —Tether puts its total freezes with law enforcement at more than $4.4 billion
- —MiCA redemption in Europe is available, but not for sanctioned or unidentifiable holders
Why it matters: Stablecoin holders should know that holding the private key does not guarantee control of funds once an issuer blocks the address.
Source: Cointribune