US DOJ Finalizes $400M Forfeiture Linked to Helix Crypto Mixer
The US Department of Justice has accomplished the forfeiture of greater than $400 million in belongings tied to Helix, a darknet cryptocurrency mixer that authorities say was broadly used to launder proceeds from unlawful on-line marketplaces.
Key Takeaways:
- US authorities seized over $400M in belongings tied to the Helix crypto mixer.
- Helix laundered about $300M in bitcoin for darknet markets, prosecutors say.
- The case underscores rising regulatory strain on crypto privateness instruments.
In a statement released Thursday, the US Department of Justice mentioned a closing courtroom order issued final week granted the federal government authorized title to a spread of seized belongings, together with cryptocurrencies, actual property and monetary accounts linked to Helix’s operations.
The forfeiture marks one of many largest recoveries related to a crypto mixing service to date.
Helix Laundered $300M in Bitcoin for Darknet Users, Prosecutors Say
According to prosecutors, Helix processed a minimum of 354,468 bitcoin between 2014 and 2017, price roughly $300 million on the time.
The service was designed to obscure the origin of funds and was marketed to customers looking for anonymity, together with distributors and prospects on illicit darknet markets.
Helix was operated by Larry Dean Harmon, who pleaded responsible in August 2021 to conspiracy to commit cash laundering.
Harmon was sentenced in November 2024 to three years in jail, adopted by a interval of supervised launch.
Authorities mentioned the forfeited belongings have been straight related to the laundering exercise carried out by the mixer.
The case comes as crypto mixers stay underneath heightened scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators, with debate intensifying over how privacy-focused instruments must be handled underneath present monetary crime legal guidelines.
In December, President Donald Trump mentioned he was reviewing a possible pardon for Keonne Rodriguez, a co-founder of the Samourai Wallet mixing service who was convicted on cash laundering and unlicensed cash transmission costs and sentenced to 5 years in jail.
Attention has additionally targeted on the prosecution of Roman Storm, a developer linked to the Tornado Cash protocol, who was convicted final 12 months on cash laundering and sanctions-related costs and is awaiting sentencing.
The case has drawn criticism from components of the crypto group, together with Vitalik Buterin, who has argued that privateness instruments shouldn’t be handled as felony just because they are often misused.
Crypto Crime Hits Record $154B in 2025, Chainalysis Says
The forfeiture comes as crypto-related crime stays a rising concern. According to Chainalysis, illicit cryptocurrency addresses received a record $154 billion in 2025, a pointy enhance from the 12 months earlier than.
In one other case, US prosecutors have charged a 23-year-old Brooklyn resident, Ronald Spektor, with stealing roughly $16 million in cryptocurrency from round 100 Coinbase customers by an alleged phishing and social engineering scheme.
According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, Spektor posed as a Coinbase worker and contacted victims claiming their funds have been at quick danger, pressuring them to switch crypto to wallets he managed.
Authorities mentioned the scheme relied on panic ways moderately than technical hacks. Operating underneath the net alias “lolimfeelingevil,” Spektor allegedly warned victims of imminent theft to override skepticism and drive fast selections.
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