Federal investigators seized over $560,000 in cryptocurrency and took control of websites and servers allegedly used by Hamas to raise money and recruit supporters, a move U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro called "a massive blow" to the terrorist group's operations.
The Department of Justice announced that court-authorized warrants allowed the FBI to strip cryptocurrency from digital addresses promoted through an encrypted group chat and a fundraising website tied to Hamas's military wing, the Al Qassam Brigades. Three unsealed warrants, issued in March, June, and October 2025, formed the backbone of the operation, TNND reported.
Beyond the money, federal agents seized the digital infrastructure itself, websites and servers that Hamas allegedly used to collect donations and build its supporter base online. The operation also yielded something prosecutors may value even more than the cash: the names and identities of thousands of people who allegedly tried to send money to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Pirro, who serves as U.S. Attorney, did not hold back. In a video posted on X, she delivered a direct message to the group:
"My message to Hamas is clear: Your networks are not secure, your crypto is vulnerable, and we will not stop until your ability to wage war is defeated."
A separate statement in the DOJ's press release reinforced the point:
"We will use every tool at our disposal to cut off terrorist financing and disrupt Hamas wherever it operates, including in cyberspace."
The seizure targeted a financing method designed to evade detection. Hamas allegedly used rotating cryptocurrency addresses to move money outside the formal financial system, bypassing the banks, wire services, and compliance checkpoints that traditional counterterrorism enforcement relies on. The FBI tracked the funds to addresses promoted directly to supporters, then obtained warrants to grab the money before it could reach its alleged destination.
Pirro has drawn both praise and scrutiny in her role. She recently filed felony charges against a woman accused of vandalizing the World War II Memorial in Washington, a case that signaled her willingness to pursue aggressive prosecution of offenses against national monuments.
The intelligence haul may prove as significant as the financial one. Pirro noted that the DOJ now has "the names and identities of thousands of individuals who tried to give money to Hamas that we were able to intercept." The FBI said that information would be used in future counterterrorism work.
That is a warning shot not just to Hamas but to anyone who believed cryptocurrency donations to a designated terrorist organization could remain anonymous. The U.S. government designated Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization, making material support for the group a federal crime. Every name on that list represents a potential investigation.
The DOJ did not announce any individual arrests in connection with the seizures. Whether charges follow for alleged donors remains an open question, but the government now holds the receipts.
Pirro's tenure has not been without friction. President Trump publicly rebuked Pirro over a dismissed Reflecting Pool vandalism case earlier in her term, and Rep. Jamie Raskin opened a congressional probe into the circumstances of that collapsed prosecution. The Hamas cryptocurrency seizure, however, represents the kind of hard-target counterterrorism action that draws bipartisan support and demonstrates the operational reach of her office.
The case underscores a persistent vulnerability. Terrorist organizations have increasingly turned to cryptocurrency precisely because it operates outside traditional banking oversight. Rotating wallet addresses, encrypted communications, and decentralized platforms give groups like Hamas tools to solicit funds globally while attempting to stay invisible to law enforcement.
The DOJ's operation shows that invisibility has limits. Court-authorized warrants, blockchain tracing, and old-fashioned investigative work allowed the FBI to follow the money, seize it, and identify the people sending it. Three separate warrant actions over the span of seven months suggest a sustained, methodical effort rather than a single lucky break.
Personnel changes at the Justice Department have drawn attention in recent months, including Ed Martin's departure from DOJ amid ethics inquiries. Against that backdrop, the Hamas seizure offers a concrete example of the department delivering on its core national-security mission.
The specific cryptocurrency types seized, the identities of the websites taken down, and the hosting locations of the servers remain undisclosed. So does any detail about the encrypted group chat used to promote the fundraising addresses, its platform, its size, and how the FBI gained access to it.
What is clear: the DOJ took more than half a million dollars out of the hands of a designated terrorist organization, dismantled part of its online fundraising operation, and built a database of alleged supporters. If the goal is to make it harder and riskier to bankroll terrorism from behind a screen, this is what progress looks like.
Cutting off the money has always been one of the most effective ways to fight terrorism. The tools change, from hawala networks to cryptocurrency wallets, but the principle stays the same: find the pipeline, shut it down, and make sure everyone involved knows they were watched.
