T3 Financial Crime Unit Adds Binance to Combat Illicit Crypto Flows

The T3 Financial Crime Unit, a blockchain-focused initiative backed by Tron, Tether, and TRM Labs, has announced the addition of Binance as its first exchange partner under its expansion program, T3+ [1]. Launched in September 2024, the unit has already frozen more than $250 million in illicit cryptocurrency and works closely with global law enforcement to combat illegal crypto flows [1]. The T3+ initiative aims to bring in more exchanges and financial institutions to enhance rapid response to threats [1].

Binance will now share intelligence with T3 to detect and block suspicious transactions in real time. Nils Andersen-Röed, Binance’s global head of financial intelligence, emphasized that “proactive collaboration is vital to protect the crypto ecosystem.” The collaboration is expected to strengthen efforts against financial crimes such as fraud, blackmail, and terrorism financing [1].

The T3 Financial Crime Unit reported freezing $130 million by January 2025, and the total has now nearly doubled to over $250 million [1]. Tron founder Justin Sun noted that broader cooperation will improve the efficiency of addressing illicit activity. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino added that the progress demonstrates “what’s possible when the industry comes together with a shared goal” [1].

The T3+ expansion reflects a growing trend among major players in the crypto industry to collaborate more actively in enforcement efforts. This follows a surge in sophisticated hacking incidents in 2025. According to Global Ledger, over $3 billion was stolen in the first half of 2025 through various breaches. Criminals are laundering assets at alarming speeds, with some cases completed within three minutes of theft. Recovery rates have dropped to just 4.2% [1].

Despite ongoing efforts, around 15% of illicit crypto still passes through centralized exchanges like Binance. Compliance teams usually have less than 15 minutes to stop the movement of stolen funds. Stablecoin issuers such as Tether can freeze tokens directly at the contract level to block these transactions [1].

Tether recently froze $86,000 in stolen USDT, reigniting the debate over centralization in crypto. While critics highlight potential risks, supporters argue that such actions help prevent losses. Since its launch, T3 has monitored more than $3 billion in suspicious transactions globally [1].

TRM Labs reported that illicit crypto volumes fell 24% in 2024 to $45 billion. Tron experienced the largest decline, down $6 billion year-on-year. Binance’s participation in T3+ indicates a growing willingness among major platforms to take a more active role in enforcement [1].

Source: [1] T3 Crime Unit Adds Binance to Boost Global Illicit Crypto Crackdown (https://blockonomi.com/t3-crime-unit-adds-binance-to-boost-global-illicit-crypto-crackdown/)