Hamas Militant Group Told Donors to Avoid Binance, Use Rival Crypto Platforms Instead

Court documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice reveal that Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, advised potential donors against using Binance to send cryptocurrency funds, recommending platforms like Bybit, OKX, Kast and Redotpay instead.

What the DOJ Filing Shows

A letter from Al-Qassam Brigades, included in full within a DOJ asset-seizure warrant filed September 9, instructed supporters to avoid Binance for transferring support and to skip entering any identifying details tied to the group’s name, so that wallets wouldn’t get blocked. The letter suggested alternatives including Trust Wallet, RedotPay, OKX, Kast and Bybit, along with Tether’s USDT stablecoin on the TRC-20 network built on Tron. The group noted Binance could still be used to buy currency, just not to complete transfers directly.

Industry Response and Wider Context

Binance’s chief compliance officer said the advisory actually reflects the strength of the platform’s controls, pointing to its investment in sanctions screening and cooperation with law enforcement. OKX said the wallet address named in the letter had already been flagged internally as tied to illicit activity, meaning any transfer attempt would have been blocked. Kast pointed to its compliance team and screening partnerships. Bybit declined to comment, and Redotpay did not respond.

US Treasury’s 2026 terrorist financing risk assessment noted that groups including Hamas continue using digital assets for donations, though traditional financial channels remain their preferred method. Earlier reporting had linked Hamas connected wallets to roughly $41 million in transactions between 2020 and 2023.