Key facts
- The FBI seized approximately $560,000 in cryptocurrency.
- The funds were allegedly intended for Hamas's military wing, the Al Qassam Brigades.
- The FBI took control of online domains and servers linked to Hamas's fundraising site.
- Information on thousands of individuals who contacted Hamas about donating was obtained.
- The seized cryptocurrencies included Bitcoin, Ethereum, Wrapped Ethereum, Tether, and Tron.
The FBI has seized approximately $560,000 in cryptocurrency that was allegedly intended for Hamas's military wing, the Al Qassam Brigades. The operation also involved taking control of online infrastructure, including domains and servers, that facilitated these fundraising efforts. According to the Justice Department, investigators utilized three warrants to trace and confiscate the digital assets.
Assistant Director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, Brett Leatherman, stated that Hamas has relied on cryptocurrency and online platforms to solicit funds globally, and the FBI will continue to intercept such illicit funds. Court filings indicate that an encrypted group chat directed supporters to AlQassam.ps, a website that used rotating wallet addresses to solicit donations. The cryptocurrencies identified in the filings include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Wrapped Ethereum, Tether, and Tron, spread across multiple Tether-controlled addresses and Binance accounts.
This action is part of ongoing efforts by authorities to disrupt Hamas-linked cryptocurrency fundraising. Previous actions include Israeli police freezing Hamas-linked Binance accounts in 2023, and a Binance review in 2024 that found it froze about 14% of over 1,500 wallets flagged by Israel. A U.S. warrant in March 2025 also led to the seizure of $201,400 in crypto from addresses that had received over $1.5 million since October 2024. Federal prosecutors emphasized that neither online networks nor cryptocurrency can shield Hamas's fundraising activities from law enforcement, with U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro issuing a warning that these networks are not secure and crypto is vulnerable.