President Joseph Aoun receives a delegation of American officials at Baabda Presidential Palace, on Nov. 9, 2025. (Credit: X/@LBPresidency)
While the list of demands presented by the U.S. Treasury delegation that visited Lebanon last week to cut off Hezbollah’s funding sources did not come as a surprise to most Lebanese officials, one detail nonetheless caught their attention.Alongside calls for tighter border controls and stronger oversight of money transfer companies and exchange offices, the delegation also stressed Hezbollah’s use of electronic wallets and cryptocurrencies. One currency in particular was singled out: Tether, also known as USDT, a stablecoin pegged to the dollar.“We were surprised to learn that part of the $1 billion the party reportedly received in 2024 from Iran and other sources had arrived in the form of this digital dollar,” said a Lebanese official who attended the meetings.The use of cryptocurrencies in general, and stablecoins in particular, has...
While the list of demands presented by the U.S. Treasury delegation that visited Lebanon last week to cut off Hezbollah’s funding sources did not come as a surprise to most Lebanese officials, one detail nonetheless caught their attention.Alongside calls for tighter border controls and stronger oversight of money transfer companies and exchange offices, the delegation also stressed Hezbollah’s use of electronic wallets and cryptocurrencies. One currency in particular was singled out: Tether, also known as USDT, a stablecoin pegged to the dollar.“We were surprised to learn that part of the $1 billion the party reportedly received in 2024 from Iran and other sources had arrived in the form of this digital dollar,” said a Lebanese official who attended the meetings.The use of cryptocurrencies in general, and stablecoins in...
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