F.B.I. Cracks Hamas's Cryptocurrency Network, Freezes $560,000
The F.B.I. was able to track and freeze $560,000 in cryptocurrency belonging to Hamas's al-Qassam Brigades after a year-and-a-half-long investigation.
The inquiry began with an email from someone claiming to be a donor, asking how to make a donation to the Brigades via fund@alqassam.ps. The reply, sent by the F.B.I.'s informant, provided detailed instructions on how to donate using the Tron network's USDT currency.
The address provided in the email, Donation Address 1, received $25,211 in USDT from thirty-four deposits between February 11 and February 21. The funds were then transferred to a single address called the al-Qassam Brigades Operational Wallet, which received over $1.3 million in USDT between October 28, 2024, and March 3, 2025.
The key to tracing the network was found in the fees paid to move the funds on the Tron network. The F.B.I. identified a wallet called the Gas Wallet, which was responsible for paying over 92% of the withdrawals from the Operational Wallet. By tracking the rotation of addresses and their fueling from the same source, the investigation became an exercise in arithmetic.