DOJ Finalizes Forfeiture of Over $400M Linked to Helix Darknet Mixer
U.S. authorities have completed a major seizure of cryptocurrency tied to Helix, a now-defunct Bitcoin mixing service that processed hundreds of thousands of BTC for darknet users.
The U.S. Department of Justice has finalized the seizure and forfeiture of more than $400 million in cryptocurrencies and related assets tied to the darknet Bitcoin mixer Helix, according to DOJ announcements and reporting [1][2].
Helix processed roughly 354,468 BTC (more than 350,000 BTC) during its operations and used techniques such as combining funds and routing them through numerous transactions to obscure the origin, destination and ownership of funds; reporting notes the service operated primarily between 2014 and 2017 and integrated directly with darknet markets via an API [4][1].
Helix’s operator, Larry Harmon, previously pleaded guilty in August 2021 and received a 36-month prison sentence along with asset forfeiture; the DOJ’s recent action completes the government’s effort to seize the crypto holdings tied to the mixer [4][3].
The DOJ’s forfeiture finalizes a high-profile enforcement action against a darknet-era cryptocurrency mixer that handled hundreds of thousands of bitcoins and underscores ongoing efforts to target illicit crypto services [1][2][4].
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Citations
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- 1Helix had managed over 350000 BTC for customersCryptopolitan• Jan 30, 2026
- 2US Finalizes Forfeiture of $400 Million Tied to Helix Darknet MixerDecrypt• Jan 30, 2026
- 3DOJ Forfeits $400M in Crypto from Helix CaseCoinoMedia• Jan 30, 2026
- 4DOJ Seizes $400M in Assets from Helix Darknet Cryptocurrency MixerBlockonomi• Jan 30, 2026
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