Binance Joins Forces with Tron & Tether to Crush Crypto Crime Worldwide

Crypto heavyweights unite to tackle the dark side of digital assets.

Binance, Tron, and Tether—three of the biggest names in crypto—are pooling resources to combat fraud, money laundering, and illicit transactions. The collaboration signals a growing industry push for legitimacy as regulators tighten scrutiny.

No more wild west: The trio’s anti-crime initiative includes real-time monitoring, forensic analysis, and cross-chain tracking. Because nothing says ‘decentralized future’ like a centralized crackdown.

Will it work? Skeptics point to crypto’s inherent anonymity, but the alliance bets on transparency tools to clean up the ecosystem. Either way, Wall Street bankers are still too busy shorting Bitcoin to notice.

In Brief

• The T3 Financial Crime Unit has frozen over $250 million in illicit crypto since its 2024 launch and is now expanding with Binance as its first T3+ partner.
• New data from Global Ledger shows crypto hacks are becoming faster and harder to stop, with some funds laundered in under three minutes and only 4.2% of stolen assets recovered in H1 2025.
• The expansion raises debate over the power of centralized entities like stablecoin issuers to freeze funds, balancing security with decentralization principles.

Binance joins as first T3+ partner

The new T3+ program enlists major exchanges, financial institutions, and industry players to share intelligence and respond to threats in real time. Binance’s participation marks the first expansion of the unit beyond its founding members.

Tron founder Justin Sun is excited about Binance joining the efforts, and said the MOVE will expand “the scope of collaboration across the blockchain industry to better address illicit activity in real time.” The partnership is expected to strengthen the group’s ability to intercept suspicious transactions before they are laundered.

Crypto hacks are getting faster

A new report from Swiss blockchain analytics firm Global Ledger emphasizes the urgency of the initiative. In the first half of 2025, over $3 billion in crypto was stolen, with hackers moving funds at unprecedented speed.

Some attacks saw laundering completed in under three minutes, and more than 30% of stolen assets were moved within 24 hours. On average, it took just 15 hours for stolen funds to be laundered, and in 23% of cases, the assets were gone before the breach was even disclosed.

As a result, only 4.2% of stolen funds were recovered in the first half of the year. Centralized exchanges, where about 15% of illicit funds pass through, often have just 10–15 minutes to block suspicious transfers before they disappear.

Debate over stablecoin issuers’ power

The T3 FCU’s success hinges partly on the ability of centralized actors to halt transactions. Last month, Tether froze nearly $86,000 in stolen USDT, reigniting debate over the balance between security and decentralization, possibly speeding up the effort to bring in Binance.

Critics argue that giving issuers the power to freeze funds undermines user sovereignty and the principles of decentralized finance. Supporters say such measures are vital to protect users and prevent large-scale thefts.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino defended the practice, stating: 

Bad actors have nowhere to hide on the blockchain… and it’s only through collective effort that we can build a safer, more trusted environment for users worldwide.

A growing global effort

With Binance’s entry into the T3+ program and increasing collaboration between blockchain projects, exchanges, and analytics firms, the fight against crypto crime is becoming more coordinated. Yet, as hackers grow faster and more sophisticated, the industry faces a race against time to safeguard assets and maintain trust in the digital economy.

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