The US Department of Justice said courts authorized the FBI to seize more than $560,000 in cryptocurrency linked to Hamas fundraising campaigns, while also taking down websites and communication channels used to solicit donations and interact with supporters.

According to a breakdown later published by Chainalysis, the case unfolded across five related operations between March 2025 and August 2026. The company said investigators were able to reconstruct parts of the network by following onchain activity over time, even as Hamas changed wallets and shifted tactics.

Five operations over roughly 18 months

The Justice Department disclosed the action on September 1, 2026. It said the seizures targeted cryptocurrency connected to Hamas fundraising efforts and were carried out with court authorization.

Chainalysis said the FBI’s work spanned five connected operations from March 2025 through August 2026. The firm described the investigation as cumulative, with each seizure and round of analysis helping agents identify additional wallets, services and supporting infrastructure in later stages of the case.

How the tracing reportedly began

Chainalysis said the first phase started in March 2025, when about $200,000 in stablecoins was donated to Hamas. Investigators allegedly traced the funds from a donation address to an operational wallet and then further through the transaction chain using blockchain analysis tools including Chainalysis Reactor.

A central clue was a gas wallet used to pay transaction fees. According to the company, addresses controlled by Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, relied on that same wallet. That overlap allowed investigators to expand their view from a single donation flow to a wider cluster of linked addresses.

Tactics shifted as the inquiry continued

Throughout 2025, the FBI continued analyzing transaction data. Chainalysis said a June case followed donations through a fresh set of addresses and accounts, showing how funds were consolidated and moved after collection.

The review also reportedly identified an account tied to an over-the-counter broker in Lebanon, as well as another account whose behavior was consistent with money mule activity. After the first seizure, Hamas changed its methods, according to Chainalysis, using cross-chain bridges to move assets between blockchains and one-time addresses to receive donations.

Seizures extended beyond wallets

By 2026, US law enforcement had widened the operation beyond blockchain transfers alone. The FBI also moved against the digital infrastructure allegedly used to gather donations and communicate with supporters.

Chainalysis said agents seized domains and servers connected to Hamas’ main website, which enabled authorities to intercept donations and obtain information about people attempting to send funds. Across the five operations, the US ultimately seized more than $560,000 in cryptocurrency and took control of domains and servers linked to the campaign.

What the case illustrates

Chainalysis said the investigation showed how blockchain transaction analysis can build over time because transaction histories remain immutable. In its account of the case, older data repeatedly produced new links as investigators revisited prior activity and compared it with newly identified wallets and services.

The confirmed public outcome so far is the Justice Department’s announcement of the seizures and takedowns. Beyond that, the latest documented step is Chainalysis’ explanation of how investigators said they traced the fundraising network across multiple phases despite changes in tactics.

Source: incrypted.com