Hamas' military wing explicitly instructed donors to steer clear of sending cryptocurrency directly through Binance, instead directing them toward a range of other platforms to route funds, according to recently unsealed U.S. Department of Justice documents.
What the DOJ Filing Reveals
The court records indicate that the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed faction of Hamas, provided specific guidance to would-be contributors on how to funnel money to the organization. Rather than relying on the world's largest crypto exchange, donors were advised to use alternative services to move funds.
According to the filing, supporters were told to use tools such as Trust Wallet, Bybit, OKX, Kast and Redotpay. The ultimate destination for these transfers was an external wallet on the TRON blockchain, a network frequently cited in illicit finance cases due to its low transaction costs and speed.
The instructions amounted to a deliberate effort to sidestep the compliance controls of the industry's biggest exchange.
Why Binance Was Avoided
The apparent decision to warn donors away from Binance underscores the reputation the exchange has built around its compliance and monitoring systems. Binance has faced heavy regulatory scrutiny in recent years and has significantly expanded its anti-money-laundering and know-your-customer programs, making it a less attractive channel for those seeking to conceal the flow of funds.
By steering contributions through other platforms and self-custody wallets before consolidating them on the TRON network, the group appeared to be attempting to obscure the trail of transactions and reduce the risk of accounts being frozen or flagged.
The documents highlight several trends that continue to concern regulators and law enforcement:
- The persistent use of the TRON blockchain in illicit finance schemes
- Efforts by sanctioned groups to exploit self-custody wallets like Trust Wallet
- The targeting of exchanges perceived to have weaker oversight
The revelations add to an ongoing government effort to disrupt digital-asset fundraising by designated terrorist organizations, a focus that has intensified as authorities sharpen their ability to trace blockchain activity.