preferred on
Points of Focus
- Tether is launching FASE with 10 industry partners to combat cryptocurrency scams and support trafficking survivors.
- FASE targets fraud prevention education for 10 million young people and humanitarian aid for millions.
- The UNODC joins as a strategic partner, while funding, timelines, and measurable outcomes remain undisclosed.
Tether, the issuer of the USDt (USDT) stablecoin, has launched the Financial Access and Systemic Empowerment (FASE) Foundation with 10 industry partners to combat online financial scams, support human trafficking survivors, and expand financial access in vulnerable communities.
Announced on Oct. 28, the Switzerland-based nonprofit brings together cryptocurrency exchanges, blockchain analytics companies, financial institutions, and humanitarian organizations.
Its founding stakeholders include Anchorage Digital, Bitfury, Bybit, Chainalysis, Fasanara Capital, Payward, Kraken’s partner company, Opera, Pave Bank, Prosper Global, and the Solana Foundation, alongside Tether.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) will serve as a strategic partner, providing technical guidance rather than joining as a founding member.
Tether and Industry Collaborators Launch FASE Foundation to Fight Scams, Support Trafficking Survivors, and Pilot Stablecoin Aid in Vulnerable Communities
Learn more: https://t.co/bVvkFxkrl6— Tether (@tether) October 28, 2026
FASE’s initial programs target two substantial populations: up to 10 million young people through fraud-prevention education and potentially 1 million humanitarian aid recipients through a stablecoin pilot.
However, these are proposed reach targets, not completed programs. Tether has not disclosed the foundation’s operating budget or individual partner contributions.
Why Tether is targeting crypto scams and human trafficking
The initiative addresses an increasingly interconnected problem involving online fraud, cryptocurrency payments, and organized criminal networks.
Fraudulent investment platforms frequently use social engineering to convince victims to transfer money into apparently legitimate cryptocurrency accounts.
Some operations are connected to trafficking networks that force people to participate in online scams.
The challenge extends beyond recovering stolen cryptocurrency. Victims of trafficking may require shelter, legal assistance, medical support, and safe repatriation.
FASE plans to support civil society organizations assisting survivors through collaboration with the United Nations Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking.
It will also build on Tether’s existing cooperation with UNODC to expand cybercrime-prevention initiatives across Africa, Asia, and Central America.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the foundation aims to reach communities historically underserved by conventional financial institutions.
“For too long, the people who most need protection and support have been the ones most neglected by the traditional financial system,” Ardoino said.
FASE targets 10 million young people with scam-prevention education
One of the foundation’s first initiatives is a partnership with Goodwall, a youth engagement platform, to provide digital education and fraud-prevention resources.
The program aims to reach up to 10 million young people, prioritizing Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.
Its effectiveness will depend on more than distributing educational materials.
Scam-prevention programs must help participants recognize fraudulent investment promises, impersonation attempts, malicious links, and requests to transfer funds to unknown wallets.
They also need to address how fraudsters build trust over extended periods before requesting payments.
FASE has not yet disclosed its educational curriculum, launch schedule, or how it will measure changes in participants’ ability to identify scams.
That matters because reaching millions of users does not necessarily translate into fewer fraud victims.
Can stablecoins improve humanitarian aid for 1 million people?
FASE will also work with Prosper Global, formerly Mercy Corps, to explore stablecoins as a mechanism for humanitarian assistance.
The proposed pilot could potentially reach 1 million people and provide a model for future emergency response programs.
Stablecoins could allow aid organizations to transfer funds directly to eligible recipients without relying entirely on conventional cross-border banking arrangements.
They may also make payment movements easier to verify through blockchain records.
However, blockchain transparency does not establish whether aid reaches its intended recipients.
Successful implementation would require reliable identity verification, accessible wallets, local merchants willing to accept digital payments, and practical methods for converting stablecoins into local currency.
Recipients must also be protected against wallet theft, fraud, and accidental transfers.
FASE has not announced participating countries, the amount of aid to be distributed, or whether USDT will be the stablecoin used in the pilot.
What makes FASE different from Tether’s previous initiatives?
Tether has previously supported cryptocurrency infrastructure and nonprofit development.
The company contributed $100,000 to the BTCPay Server Foundation in 2024 and another $100,000 in 2025. It also donated $250,000 to OpenSats, which supports Bitcoin-related open-source development.
FASE represents a broader institutional approach, combining cryptocurrency companies, financial services providers, and humanitarian organizations under one foundation.
Its four stated priorities are financial safety, financial inclusion, access to essential resources, and responsible artificial intelligence and robotics.
The foundation’s founding stakeholders met in Lugano, Switzerland before the launch to establish strategic priorities.
Share
Most read articles
