Hamas' Military Wing Shifts Crypto Donations Away from Binance Amid Increased Scrutiny

The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, has instructed its supporters to stop using Binance for sending cryptocurrency donations. Instead, they should use Bybit, OKX, Trust Wallet, RedotPay, and Kast. This directive comes as US authorities have intensified their pursuit of Hamas-linked crypto wallets.

The FBI seized approximately $560,000 in cryptocurrency connected to the group's fundraising operations on the Tron blockchain. The funds were denominated in USDT, and Hamas operatives employed rotating wallet addresses to minimize their digital footprint.

The Al-Qassam Brigades have been soliciting digital asset donations since at least 2019. Initially, they used Bitcoin before pivoting to USDT on Tron due to the transparent ledger of Bitcoin, which made it easier for law enforcement and blockchain analytics firms to track addresses and connect wallets to real-world identities.

The shift away from Binance suggests that the exchange's compliance efforts are having a deterrent effect. However, Bybit is already facing heightened scrutiny following a $1.4B hack earlier in 2025. Non-custodial wallets like Trust Wallet present a challenge for exchanges as they have limited ability to block specific users or freeze assets.