Nikolas Sargeant
The US Justice Department announced a significant cryptocurrency seizure of $201,400 linked to Hamas fundraising networks. Investigators traced the Tether (USDT) funds through multiple addresses used to launder over $1.5 million in virtual currency since October 2024.
Court documents expose a sophisticated fundraising mechanism where an encrypted messaging group provided supporters with 17 rotating cryptocurrency addresses. These addresses facilitated donations into a central operational wallet, which was subsequently laundered through virtual currency exchanges and over-the-counter brokers.
Strategic Legal Intervention
US Attorney Martin emphasized the government's commitment to disrupting terrorist financing: "Hamas is responsible for the deaths of many US and Israeli nationals, and we will use every legal tool at our disposal to stop their campaign of terror and murder."
The seizure targeted multiple cryptocurrency accounts, including one valued at $89,900 and three additional accounts totaling $111,500. All accounts were registered under Palestinian nationals reportedly residing in Turkey and other countries.
International Collaborative Efforts
The action represents part of a comprehensive global strategy to disrupt Hamas' financial infrastructure. The US Treasury Department has progressively imposed sanctions on Hamas-linked financial facilitators, while allied governments have taken similar actions.
Israel's National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing has independently seized tens of millions of dollars in digital assets. Previous legal actions have included lawsuits against cryptocurrency platforms like Binance, with victim families alleging facilitation of terrorist financing.
Ongoing international efforts continue to target digital currency networks used for potentially illicit funding, demonstrating the evolving landscape of financial counterterrorism strategies.
