US Seizes $560K in Crypto Donations Meant for Hamas

Federal authorities in the US have seized $560,000 worth of cryptocurrency donations intended for Hamas. The Justice Department also took control of website domains and communication platforms used for fundraising and recruitment.

According to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, investigators intercepted the names and identities of thousands of people who tried to send money to the foreign terrorist group.

Pirro said authorities disrupted Hamas' fundraising and recruitment communications by taking over key infrastructure. By seizing their servers and domains, they were able to directly intercept money that was going to be used by the Al-Qassam Brigade, the military wing of Hamas.

The investigation found that Hamas began testing virtual currency fundraising in about 2019 through its Telegram channel before shifting to official websites.