FBI seizes $560,000 in cryptocurrency linked to Hamas fundraising

The FBI seized about $560,000 in cryptocurrency and took control of online infrastructure allegedly used by Hamas to collect donations, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.

According to the Justice Department, the funds were intended for Hamas’ military wing, the Al Qassam Brigades, the DOJ said. Investigators traced and confiscated the crypto under three warrants dated March 25, June 25, and October 10, 2025.

“Hamas relied on cryptocurrency and online platforms to solicit funds from donors around the world,” Assistant Director of the FBI’s Cyber Division Brett Leatherman said in a statement. “The FBI will continue to use its authorities to intercept illicit funds and prevent terrorist organizations from exploiting digital networks to finance their operations.”

Court filings allege an encrypted group chat directed supporters to AlQassam.ps, where rotating wallet addresses solicited donations.

Although the announcement did not name the cryptocurrencies, accompanying court filings identified Bitcoin, Ethereum, Wrapped Ethereum, Tether, and Tron across 18 Tether-controlled addresses and three Binance accounts allegedly linked to financing a foreign terrorist organization.

The latest action follows years of efforts by authorities to disrupt Hamas-linked cryptocurrency fundraising.

Israeli police froze Hamas-linked Binance accounts in 2023. In a separate review in 2024, Binance said it froze about 14% of more than 1,500 wallets flagged by Israel.

In March 2025, a U.S. warrant led to the seizure of $201,400 in crypto from addresses that authorities said had received more than $1.5 million since October 2024. In related actions, the FBI seized the fundraising site’s domains and servers, allowing agents to intercept donations and obtain information about thousands of people who contacted Hamas about contributing.

Federal prosecutors cast the operation as a warning that neither online networks nor cryptocurrency can shield Hamas’ fundraising activities from law enforcement.

“A message to Hamas: We will stop your fundraising for terror,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said in a statement. “Your networks are not secure, your crypto is vulnerable, and we will not stop until your ability to wage war is defeated.”