According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the collapse of Heartland Tri-State Bank in Kansas was directly tied to a large-scale 'pig butchering' crypto scam involving over $225 million in laundered USDT. The DOJ's civil forfeiture action targets laundered USDT linked to a Philippines-based scam network that exploited the former bank CEO, Shan Hanes. Crypto exchange OKX provided critical intelligence, helping trace the movement of funds through at least 93 scam addresses and 100 intermediary wallets before consolidation into OKX accounts. The DOJ identified $3.3 million of the $47 million Hanes embezzled, highlighting ongoing risks associated with USDT in criminal activity and the importance of compliance and transparency for exchanges. Traders should note that increased scrutiny on USDT-related transactions and future government actions to stockpile seized digital assets could impact USDT market liquidity and trading sentiment, especially as USDT remains a top stablecoin in crypto trading pairs. (Sources: DOJ complaint, CNBC, OKX disclosures)

According to ZachXBT on Twitter, more than 80% of fees generated by the entity in question originated from Chinese launderers transferring Lazarus Group funds connected to the Bybit exchange hack. This allegation underscores the ongoing risks related to illicit fund flows within the crypto ecosystem and may impact trading sentiment and compliance measures for platforms exposed to such activity (source: ZachXBT, Twitter, June 21, 2025).

According to PeckShieldAlert, crypto laundering due to hacks increased by 280% to $1.3B in 2024, while scam and phishing losses decreased by 24.14% to $834.5M.

According to PeckShieldAlert, the total value of hack-related crypto laundering in 2024 is $1.3B, a 280% increase from 2023's $342M.