DOGE Co-founder Howard Lutnick’s Tether Ties Questioned by Sen Warren

Highlights

Howard Lutnick played a pivotal role in Tether's growth by backing the stablecoin issuer.
Senator Elizabeth Warren has raised alarms over Lutnick’s ties to Tether, citing potential conflicts of interest.
She criticized Tether’s links to sanctioned entities and highlighted broader concerns.
Tether has faced regulatory scrutiny, for alleged AML violations and wallet ties to terrorism.

Howard Lutnick, Donald Trump’s Commerce Secretary, who’s also among the founding members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has some deep ties with USDT stablecoin issuer Tether. However, Senator Elizabeth Warren has raised strong questions citing the regulatory doubts over Tether’s operations.

How Howard Lutnick Played a Key Role In Tether’s Success?

Cantor Fitzgerald’s billionaire CEO Howard Lutnick has been quite instrumental in Tether’s success and its operations. With over $130 billion worth of Tether tokens in circulation, Cantor holds a significant portion of the U.S. Treasury bonds that back the stablecoin, ensuring its stability and trust at $1 per token.

Lutnick’s involvement with the stablecoin issuer started three years ago when he stepped in to publicly support the firm during its testing times. In return, Tether has paid Cantor Fitzgerald tens of millions of dollars, as the banking firm acquired a minority stake in the stablecoin issuer. Sources familiar with the matter stated that details of this arrangement are considered sensitive by both parties.

Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick wouldn’t oversee cryptocurrency regulation directly, however, the department has issued reports on industry oversight. Furthermore, Lutnick’s proximity to President-elect Donald Trump could be influential as his firm’s client, Tether, faces heightened scrutiny from U.S. regulators and investigators. Question his proximity to the stablecoin issuers, Senator Elizabeth Warren, also the ranking member of the Senate banking committee told Bloomberg:

“I am deeply concerned by Lutnick’s past work with a company under investigation for its ties to sanctioned entities like Russian arms dealers, Chinese fentanyl traffickers and North Korean nuclear weapons programs. A Commerce Secretary is supposed to fight for America’s interests — not his own personal interests or those of former clients whose actions undermine our national security.”

Senator Warren’s comments come as the Donald Trump administration is planning a major regulatory overhaul. Recently, she also questioned Treasury nominee Scott Bessent on key issues, including cryptocurrency regulation, tax policies, measures to ensure financial stability, and support for small banks.

Key concerns About Stablecoin Issuer

In the past, there have been major concerns regarding Tether’s regulatory stand and its actual backing of the outstanding USDT stablecoins. Unlike banks or fintech firms, Tether operates without collecting personal information from most of its users. Anyone with a crypto wallet can transfer money using Tether efficiently, affordably, and anonymously, which makes it susceptible to regulatory scrutiny. Thus, Howard Lutnick’s close association with Tether becomes a matter of debate.

Last October, the US DoJ launched an investigation into Tether for possible AML violations. It turns out that one crypto wallet that held nearly 300 million in Tether’s USDT tokens had terrorism links, as per the investigation by U.S. Treasury Department. As a result, Tehter’s operations have been subject to scrutiny by global regulators.

In the latest development, Tether announced moving to El Salvador after securing a Digital Asset Service Provider (DASP) license. The relocation reflects the company’s dedication to fostering cryptocurrency adoption in emerging markets while leveraging El Salvador’s pro-crypto regulatory framework

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Bhushan Akolkar

Bhushan is a seasoned crypto writer with over eight years of experience spanning more than 10,000 contributions across multiple platforms like CoinGape, CoinSpeaker, Bitcoinist, Crypto News Flash, and others. Being a Fintech enthusiast, he loves reporting across Crypto, Blockchain, DeFi, Global Macros with a keen understanding in financial markets.   He is committed to continuous learning and stays motivated by sharing the knowledge he acquires. In his free time, Bhushan enjoys reading thriller fiction novels and occasionally explores his culinary skills. Bhushan has a bachelors degree in electronics engineering, however, his interest in finance and economics drives him to crypto and blockchain.

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