U.S. confiscates cryptocurrency linked to Hamas's illicit funding sources

The United States Department of Justice has confiscated around $201,400 in digital currency tied to Hamas.

This confiscation was part of an operation to counter terrorism financing that laundered over $1.5 million in virtual currency since October 2024, as per the DOJ.

According to legal documents, backers of Hamas utilized an encrypted platform to circulate at least 17 cryptocurrency addresses for donations. The funds were laundered through exchanges and brokers before being channeled into operational wallets.

The confiscation was aimed at assets kept in accounts registered to Palestinian individuals in Turkey and other places.

"Hamas is accountable for the deaths of numerous American and Israeli nationals, and we will employ every legal instrument at our disposal to halt their campaign of terror and murder," stated U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr.

FBI Special Agent Raul Bujanda referred to the confiscation as a vital move in disrupting Hamas' financial network, stressing that cutting off funding weakens the group's ability to operate.

The operation was spearheaded by the FBI's Albuquerque Field Office, collaborating with the Counterterrorism and Cyber Divisions. Prosecutors from the DOJ’s National Security Division are managing the case.