Tether stated that its exposure is limited to assets held at EQIBank, following reports connecting the company and its affiliate Bitfinex to an alleged payments operation under investigation by the US Department of Justice. The Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture complaint alleging that Capstone, a Montana-based payments firm, moved hundreds of millions of dollars as directed by EQIBank. Authorities said Capstone operated without proper licenses and facilitated transactions for a range of clients, including Tether and Bitfinex.