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FBI Seizes $560K in Crypto Intended for Hamas, IDs Thousands of Donors

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FBI Seizes $560K in Crypto Intended for Hamas, IDs Thousands of Donors

2026-09-06 03:30 UTCBy AlphaScala Research DeskSource reporting: BitcoinEditorial standards

FBI Seizes $560K in Crypto Intended for Hamas, IDs Thousands of Donors

The FBI seized over $560,000 in cryptocurrency intended for Hamas, took control of fundraising domains, and identified thousands of potential donors, according to a Justice Department disclosure on Sept. 1.

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The FBI seized more than $560,000 in cryptocurrency destined for Hamas's military wing and took control of online fundraising infrastructure, the Justice Department said Sept. 1. The operation also identified thousands of individuals who attempted to donate to the group using digital assets.

Federal investigators carried out three court-authorised seizures on March 25, June 25, and Oct. 10, 2025, targeting funds that flowed through a network controlled by the Al Qassam Brigades. The department stated:

“As part of the Department’s efforts, over $560,000 in cryptocurrency donations destined for Hamas were seized and its fundraising and recruitment communication platforms and websites were disrupted.”

The court-backed operation focused on an encrypted group chat that directed supporters to a fundraising website and circulated a rotating collection of cryptocurrency addresses. Investigators used information from several human sources to identify, trace, and seize the funds, according to the department.

The latest disclosure built on an initial $200,000 cryptocurrency seizure announced in March 2025. That action targeted at least 17 cryptocurrency addresses tied to a collection network that had moved more than $1.5 million since October 2024. Authorities said the funds passed through exchanges and over-the-counter brokers used by Palestinian individuals in Turkey and elsewhere.

Control of the AlQassam.ps domains and associated servers allowed agents to intercept cryptocurrency sent through the captured fundraising network. Public blockchain assets are pseudonymous rather than anonymous, so investigators can follow transactions between addresses and combine those records with identifying information obtained from exchanges, online communications, human sources, and seized infrastructure.

American authorities have pursued several cryptocurrency networks accused of helping Hamas move money outside conventional financial channels. A $2 million civil forfeiture action announced in July 2025 targeted assets held through Tether and Binance accounts. Prosecutors linked the accounts to Buy Cash Money and Money Transfer Company, a Gaza-based operation accused of supporting Hamas financially.

The latest seizures follow coordinated international measures against financial facilitators. The Treasury Department sanctioned several Hamas-linked exchange networks in Gaza, their owners, and associates in January 2024, while the United Kingdom and Australia concurrently imposed sanctions on Hamas officials and facilitators. Treasury said Hamas has sought to use a range of financial transfer mechanisms, including cryptocurrency, to fund its activities.

Financial regulators have also urged banks and cryptocurrency businesses to watch for payment patterns potentially connected to Hamas fundraising. A Financial Crimes Enforcement Network alert issued in October 2023 identified red flag indicators involving fundraising campaigns and virtual currency transfers, as well as money services businesses and charities that solicit donations without providing charitable services. Financial institutions were asked to report suspicious transactions potentially tied to the group.

Other governments have used exchange cooperation to interrupt similar channels. In October 2023, Israel Police froze cryptocurrency accounts at Binance that authorities alleged Hamas had used to collect donations through social networks.

The Justice Department described how the FBI gathered information for future counterterrorism investigations:

“Using related sources and methods, the FBI also obtained information regarding thousands of individuals who contacted Hamas online in an effort to donate or attempt to donate to the terrorist organization using cryptocurrency and other traditional means.”

The Treasury Department's sanctions framework continues to target exchange networks in Gaza that facilitate financial flows to the group.