FBI seizes $560,000 in cryptocurrency allegedly intended for Hamas

The U.S. Justice Department and the FBI have disrupted a Hamas financing network, seizing over $560,000 in cryptocurrency and taking control of the group's primary fundraising website, Alqassam.ps. Utilizing human sources and blockchain tracing, federal agents intercepted donations and gathered data on thousands of prospective donors. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro warned that Hamas' digital networks are vulnerable, signaling ongoing aggressive enforcement against terrorist financing.

FBI cryptocurrency seizure operation

• ▪The FBI's Albuquerque Field Office led the seizure operation in coordination with the Counterterrorism Division, Cyber Division, and the New York Field Office.
• ▪The FBI's cryptocurrency seizure operation recovered an initial $201,400 from wallets and accounts linked to a system that had moved over $1.5 million since October 2024.
• ▪The FBI seized approximately $560,000 in cryptocurrency intended for Hamas' military wing, the Al Qassam Brigades, under three warrants dated March 25, June 25, and October 10, 2025.

Hamas fundraising infrastructure

• ▪Hamas began testing virtual currency fundraising in or around early 2019 through its Qassam Brigades, soliciting donations on its Telegram channel and offering instructions for anonymous donations.
• ▪Hamas used an encrypted group chat to direct supporters to its main website, Alqassam.ps, where rotating cryptocurrency wallet addresses were used to solicit donations.
• ▪The U.S. Justice Department identified Bitcoin, Ethereum, Wrapped Ethereum, Tether, and Tron across 18 Tether-controlled addresses and three Binance accounts linked to the Hamas financing network.

Blockchain transaction tracing

• ▪Investigators used human sources and a U.S.-based confidential informant who flagged a Telegram post to identify and trace the rotating cryptocurrency addresses used by Hamas.
• ▪Federal investigators combined blockchain tracing of public ledger transfers with human intelligence to link Hamas-related cryptocurrency transactions to regulated exchange accounts.

Domain seizure operations

• ▪The seizure of the Alqassam.ps domains and servers allowed FBI agents to intercept incoming cryptocurrency donations and obtain information on thousands of prospective donors.
• ▪The FBI seized the domains and servers of Hamas' main website, Alqassam.ps, under infrastructure warrants dated July 29 and August 18, 2026.

Counterterrorism financing enforcement

• ▪In prior enforcement actions, Israeli police froze Hamas-linked Binance accounts in 2023, and Binance subsequently froze approximately 14% of more than 1,500 wallets flagged by Israel in 2024.
• ▪The U.S. Justice Department has not yet announced a final legal forfeiture judgment covering the full $560,000 in seized cryptocurrency, and the investigation remains active.