Freezable vs Non-Freezable Crypto Assets
concept
Core idea
Whether stolen value can be frozen depends on the asset and where it sits. Centralized stablecoins like USDC and USDT can be blacklisted or frozen by their issuers. Decentralized assets cannot: DAI (a decentralized stablecoin) and native ETH held in a normal externally owned account are immutable and cannot be frozen directly. The practical freeze point is a centralized exchange, not the wallet.
When to use
When assessing, early in a case, whether the stolen asset is even capable of being frozen and where the only realistic intervention point is.
Avoid when
Assuming any asset in an externally owned wallet can be frozen. If it is native ETH or a decentralized token sitting in a normal wallet, it cannot.
Related
PI Response Priority: Freeze, Monitor, Predict, OSINT, Freezing Funds with an Exchange Email