How FBI turned Hamas’ crypto fundraising pipeline into a law-enforcement trap

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized Hamas-linked fundraising infrastructure and used it to intercept cryptocurrency donations intended for the group.

Earlier this week, the Justice Department said the operation followed earlier court-authorized seizures that traced and recovered more than $560,000 in digital assets tied to Hamas fundraising.

Those seizures came through warrants issued in March, June and October 2025 after investigators followed rotating donation addresses distributed through encrypted chats and fundraising websites.

The June warrant showed how that process worked. Tether was ordered to burn targeted USDT and reissue an equivalent amount to a US law-enforcement-controlled address, while Binance was directed to transfer specified account balances into FBI-controlled wallets.

That approach allowed investigators to recover crypto after identifying where it had moved.

Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office said:

“Reducing the capabilities of foreign terrorist organization's ability to receive donations and creating distrust in communications to their donors was the primary focus of this latest operation. This continued success demonstrates the unwavering commitment and determination of the FBI in fighting terrorism.”

Investigators targeted domains and servers linked to AlQassam.ps, a website the DOJ tied to the Al Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing.

Affidavits filed in July and August said authenticated responses from [email protected] were routed through host.alaqsaflood.org, helping investigators connect fundraising communications to related infrastructure.

The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office then worked with human sources to identify and seize domains and servers associated with the operation.

Control of that infrastructure changed the scope of the investigation. DOJ said agents were able to intercept crypto donations intended for Hamas and obtain additional information about people attempting to contribute.

That turned the case from a retrospective tracing effort into an active disruption operation.

DOJ said the broader investigation produced information about thousands of people who contacted Hamas online seeking to donate through cryptocurrency or traditional payment methods. The department did not specify how much of that information came directly from the seized servers.

The disclosure also does not establish that every person identified completed a donation or committed an offense.

However, this shows how several enforcement tools converged: blockchain tracing identified the money, court orders moved assets through centralized crypto providers, and infrastructure seizures gave investigators control over the fundraising channels themselves.

The post How FBI turned Hamas’ crypto fundraising pipeline into a law-enforcement trap appeared first on CryptoSlate.