FBI seizes $560,000 in cryptocurrency flowing to Hamas and takes over fundraising website

The FBI intercepted more than US$560,000 in cryptocurrency flowing to Hamas and took over its fundraising website

The FBI recently launched a large-scale anti-terrorist financing operation, which not only intercepted more than US$560,000 in cryptocurrency donations originally flowing to the Hamas organization, but also further took over its website infrastructure used to raise funds. During the operation, investigators seized $560,000 worth of cryptocurrency, which was allegedly used specifically to support Hamas 'military arm, the Qassam Brigade.

The content and significance of the interception operation

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that under court authorization, the FBI had successfully intercepted more than $560,000 in cryptocurrency donations, and investigators confirmed that the funds would eventually flow to Hamas. The money was tracked through three separate operations. The Justice Department said investigators tracked and seized funds planned to support Hamas 'Qassam Brigade based on three unsealed cryptocurrency seizure orders signed on March 25, June 25 and October 10, 2025.

The significance of this operation is extraordinary. It's not just a simple account freeze, but a real-time interception of terrorism financing on the blockchain. In the past, this kind of law enforcement approach was almost impossible to achieve in the face of cryptocurrency trading networks known for their anonymity.

Hamas is listed by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization. An affidavit dated July 29, 2026 stated that the operation involved suspected violations of the provisions of Title 18 U.S. Code, Sections 2339B, 1956, and 981 on material support and international money laundering , and exercised the power of seizure pursuant to Rule 41.

Fundraising website taken over: Expansion of scope of operation

Funds seizure is only part of the operation. The Justice Department said the FBI's Albuquerque field office worked with informants to successfully seize the domain name and server that controlled the AlQassam.ps website, allowing it to directly intercept donations when they flowed in.

This subverts the traditional law enforcement model. Instead of passively pursuing funds after they were transferred, the FBI directly took over the fund-raising channel itself and quietly cut off the funding pipeline.

The clues about the infrastructure are shocking. According to an affidavit dated July 29, 2026, the alqassam.ps website was previously supported by Amnpardaz Soft Corporation in Tehran, Iran, and was later associated with GTHost's infrastructure in 2026.

By controlling domain names, investigators are doing more than just blocking donors. The Justice Department said the FBI obtained information on thousands of individuals who tried to contact Hamas through cryptocurrency or traditional methods and donated or attempted to donate.

This two-pronged strategy of "seizing assets and taking over infrastructure" is in line with the recent crackdown by federal agencies on cryptocurrency money laundering The actions of the network, such as destroying Huione-related infrastructure, are the same. The core idea is: cut off funds and destroy pipelines.

The case's implications for cryptocurrency compliance and law enforcement

Hamas has been trying to use cryptocurrency to raise funds for years. According to an FBI affidavit, the organization began testing virtual currency fundraising methods around early 2019 through channels such as its Kasang Brigade and Telegram.

Its fundraising structure is considerable. Analytics firm Chainalysis identified at least 17 addresses disclosed to supporters, as well as an operating wallet with approximately $1.5 million flowing in, with a network far larger than the seized funds.

The FBI clearly sent a tough message in its announcement: "Your network is not secure, and your cryptocurrency is not indestructible."

The enforcement action took place against a backdrop of relatively calm markets. Bitcoin is trading at approximately US$77,014, and the Fear and Greed Index is 63, which is in the "greedy" range, indicating that traders have not been significantly affected by this anti-terrorism news.

For exchanges, blockchain analytics companies and compliance teams, the signal sent by this action is clearer than any price fluctuation. The case, alongside a series of recent law enforcement actions against North Korea that confiscated $15 million in USDT, reveals an increasingly clear trend: blockchain forensics technology is turning anonymity into a risk. At the same time, governments (such as Russia Newly introduced cryptocurrency regulatory regulations) also strengthen regulation of the flow of digital assets globally.

Blockchain records everything. The real question for Hamas and all the illegal fund-raisers that are watching is: If the FBI can now control your donations page and read your donor list, where else can the funds go?