DOJ Finalizes $400 Million Seizure from Helix Darknet Crypto Mixer

Highlights:

• U.S. authorities finalized the forfeiture of more than $400 million tied to Helix.
• DOJ confirmed Helix processed 354,468 Bitcoin between 2014 and 2017.
• A federal court order on January 21 legally transferred seized assets to the government.

On January 29, the Department of Justice confirmed it had taken control of assets worth over $400 million. This came after a federal court order on January 21, which finalized the forfeiture. The seized assets included cryptocurrencies, luxury real estate, and bank accounts. These holdings were linked to the Helix Darknet Mixer, a service used for illegal online activity. Officials called the move one of the biggest wins against digital crime tools.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced that last week it obtained legal title to over $400 million in cryptocurrencies, real estate, and monetary assets related to the darknet mixing service Helix. Operator Larry Dean Harmon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money…

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) January 30, 2026

Helix Seizure and Founder Sentenced

Helix operated between 2014 and 2017. During that time, it became popular with drug traffickers and hackers. Court records show the service processed at least 354,468 Bitcoin, valued at about $311 million then. Since cryptocurrency prices have risen, the recovered assets are now worth much more. Because of this, the seizure ranks among the largest in Justice Department history.

Larry Dean Harmon, the founder of Helix, stood at the center of the case. He pleaded guilty to money laundering charges in 2021. Later, in November 2024, the court sentenced him to 36 months in prison. In addition to the prison sentence, the court also asked Harmon to turn over all the assets he had gained through illegal means. It was discovered that he had built Helix to directly interact with darknet markets for drugs. This made it easy for criminals to transfer money without being detected.

Helix was not a simple privacy tool. Instead, it worked as a system built to hide money trails. First, it collected Bitcoin from many users into one shared pool. Then, it sent the funds through thousands of small and confusing transactions. This step broke the trail on purpose. After that, the service sent back so called clean coins to new addresses and charged a 2.5% fee each time. Because of this process, authorities found it almost impossible to track the funds during its operation.

Debate Over Privacy Software and Crypto Mixers

Meanwhile, the size of the forfeiture shows how hard it has become to regulate cryptocurrency mixers. These services now sit at the center of policy debates. On one side, some lawmakers see them as criminal tools. On the other hand, industry figures argue they protect user privacy. The Helix case shows how these platforms can support illegal activity. At the same time, it has pushed wider discussions about digital privacy and regulation.

Attention has shifted to other high-profile cases tied to similar services. In December, President Donald Trump said he was reviewing a possible pardon for Keonne Rodriguez, a co-founder of Samourai Wallet. A court convicted Rodriguez of money laundering and unlicensed money services, and in November, he received a five-year prison sentence. His case has intensified debate over how far courts should go in punishing privacy software developers.

🚨 JUST IN: PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS HE IS CONSIDERING A POSSIBLE PARDON FOR SAMOURAI WALLET CO-FOUNDER KEONNE RODRIGUEZ. pic.twitter.com/nLa41cbr4q

— Coinwaft (@coinwaft) December 16, 2025

The issue also includes Roman Storm, a Tornado Cash developer convicted last year on money laundering and sanctions charges. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin defended Storm, saying privacy tools should not be criminalized for their design. Earlier this month, Buterin repeated this view in a public letter. Storm now awaits sentencing and could face up to five years in prison.