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The Department of Justice, along with the FBI, has seized more than $200,000 in cryptocurrency from digital wallets and exchange accounts linked to Hamas.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, Hamas has relied heavily on cryptocurrency in recent years to finance its operations while evading international sanctions. Digital assets have provided the group with a discreet way to receive donations from supporters around the world, often through one-time-use wallet addresses and anonymous exchanges. Iran, a major financial backer of Hamas, has been tied to this system through networks it operates in Turkey and Lebanon, where intermediaries transfer Iranian funds to Hamas via digital currency, shell companies, and commodity trades like oil and precious metals. Over the years, the US, European Union, and Israeli authorities have seized tens of millions of dollars in crypto tied to Hamas.
What’s going on now: In an announcement, the DOJ and FBI confirmed the seizure of $201,400 from multiple cryptocurrency wallets and exchange accounts tied to a Hamas fundraising and laundering network. The funds were collected through at least 17 rotating crypto addresses promoted in encrypted group chats claiming affiliation with Hamas. These addresses funneled money from supporters into a central operational wallet, where it was then laundered through a complex web of virtual currency exchanges, suspected financiers, and over-the-counter brokers.
According to court documents, the seized funds were part of a larger laundering system that processed more than $1.5 million in crypto since October 2024. The accounts involved in the seizure were registered to Palestinian individuals based in Turkey and elsewhere, signaling the global reach of the fundraising network.
Though Hamas’ military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, claimed in April it had stopped accepting Bitcoin donations to protect donor anonymity, US investigators say the group continued its crypto operations under the radar.
US officials framed the seizure as a major disruption of an ongoing terrorist financing effort. US Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. stated that the government would pursue “every cent of money going to fund Hamas, wherever it is found, and in whatever form of currency.”
FBI Special Agent Raul Bujanda said, “Hamas raised and laundered more than a million dollars to support its terrorist operation, but through our investigation, the FBI traced and seized these funds. Disrupting funding mechanisms and seizing cryptocurrency from Hamas is one of the FBI’s many tools that we use in the fight against terrorism. The FBI will work with our partners to dismantle this terrorist group and protect the American people from their violent and horrific acts.”
