Key Points
- Al-Qassam Brigades instructed supporters to steer clear of Binance when transferring cryptocurrency donations
- Trust Wallet, Bybit, OKX, Kast and Redotpay were listed as recommended platforms
- Instructions specified using USDT on TRC-20 network through external TRON wallets
- Binance claims the advisory demonstrates effectiveness of its compliance measures
- OKX confirmed the mentioned wallet was previously identified by their monitoring systems
According to a Department of Justice asset-forfeiture document filed on September 9, 2026, the Al-Qassam Brigadesāthe armed faction of Binanceāissued guidance directing prospective donors away from using Binance for cryptocurrency transfers.
Hamas’ military wing advised crypto donors to avoid Binance, according to an FBI affidavit
The al-Qassam Brigades’ February 2025 email to an FBI source named; Bybit, OKX, Kast, RedotPay, and Trust Wallet as alternatives for sending $USDT on Tron. It surfaced in a recent DOJā¦ pic.twitter.com/v1Uqy8pWdi
ā BSCN (@BSCNews) September 16, 2026
Documentation attributed to the Al-Qassam Brigades identified Trust Wallet, Bybit, OKX, Kast and Redotpay as recommended options. The instructions directed donors to send Tether’s USDT stablecoin via the TRC-20 network to a designated TRON wallet address.
This court filing provides an uncommon glimpse into how a designated militant organization attempted to circumvent financial monitoring systems. The documentation explicitly instructed contributors to omit any official organizational references in transaction descriptions for security purposes.
The guidance didn’t entirely prohibit Binance usage. According to the instructions, supporters could purchase cryptocurrency through Binance but were advised to route those funds through an alternative platform before final transfer.
Crypto Platforms Respond to Document Release
Noah Perlman, Binance’s chief compliance officer, characterized the Hamas advisory as evidence supporting the platform’s security measures. “When terrorist organizations instruct people to avoid Binance, it demonstrates our controls are effective,” he stated.
OKX representatives verified that the wallet address mentioned in the February 2025 correspondence had no association with their platform. The exchange stated its monitoring infrastructure had previously identified the address as connected to prohibited activities prior to public disclosure of the filing.
Kast representatives indicated all users undergo identity verification and screening procedures before service access. The platform utilizes compliance technology from Elliptic, Sumsub and Sardine for sanctions checks and transaction surveillance.
Bybit representatives declined to provide statements. Redotpay did not respond to inquiries.
Being referenced in such correspondence does not necessarily indicate inadequate compliance infrastructure or intentional facilitation of prohibited transactions.
Context of U.S. Enforcement Actions
This revelation emerges amid intensified U.S. government initiatives targeting cryptocurrency-facilitated terrorist funding, especially after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 assault on Israel.
According to earlier Wall Street Journal reporting, cryptocurrency wallets associated with Hamas accumulated approximately $41 million from 2020 through 2023. Treasury Department investigators examined $165 million in cryptocurrency transactions potentially connected to Hamas funding operations preceding the 2023 attacks.
The Treasury Department’s 2026 terrorist-financing risk evaluation verified ongoing digital asset utilization by Hamas and ISIS. Nevertheless, the assessment concluded that conventional financial services remain the predominant channel for terrorist fund transfers worldwide.
This situation underscores the persistent difficulties exchanges encounter in blocking sanctioned entities from accessing their services, regardless of whether platforms are implicated as willing participants.
Regulatory authorities maintain ongoing surveillance and seizure operations targeting digital assets connected to organizations appearing on U.S. sanctions designations.
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