According to a statement released on March 27, 2025, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has seized more than $200,000 in cryptocurrency that was reportedly meant to fund the militant group Hamas. The stolen money was tracked to addresses used for fundraising by Hamas. Since October 2024, the group is said to have laundered over $1.5 million in digital assets. This seizure shows how worried people are about the use of cryptocurrency to fund terrorists and whether stricter rules are needed to stop these illegal activities.
DOJ Targets Hamas Crypto Networks
The DOJ said that the seized money was kept in at least 17 cryptocurrency wallets used to launder money through over-the-counter brokers, virtual currency swaps, and people thought to be financiers. Before this action, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and similar offices in the UK and Australia cracked down on crypto networks connected to Hamas in January 2024.
Legal Action and Binance Review
Concerns about the cryptocurrency industry’s possible role in money laundering and funding terrorists have brought a lot of attention. Families of people who died in the Hamas attack sued Binance and its former CEO, Changpeng Zhao, in January 2024; saying that the cryptocurrency company had given money to terrorists. Binance, on the other hand said it had “no special relationship” with Hamas and denied having any direct ties to the group.
Cryptocurrency Regulation Debate
When it comes to funding terrorists, the US government has been keeping a close eye on digital assets. The Congressional Research Service said in a report in December 2024 that Hamas had been asking for cryptocurrency gifts since 2019. However, how well or how significant these efforts were was still unclear. Some government officials want stricter rules on crypto, but others say that illegal trades are only a tiny part of all crypto activity.
Conclusion
The Department of Justice’s discovery of crypto linked to Hamas shows how serious the fight against illegal uses of digital currency is. Terrorist groups are still looking into digital money, so countries around the world need to find a way to improve security while also keeping financial innovation alive.
