US Justice Department Seizes $400 Million from Bitcoin Mixer Helix

US seizes $400M from Helix, a darknet crypto mixer.

The US Department of Justice has completed the seizure of assets worth over $400 million linked to the darknet cryptocurrency mixer Helix.

The assets transferred to state ownership include cryptocurrencies, real estate, and bank accounts associated with the service.

According to the regulator, between 2014 and 2017, Helix processed at least 354,468 BTC, which at the time amounted to about $300 million. The platform primarily facilitated illegal transactions.

The mixer’s founder, Larry Dean Harmon, was arrested in February 2020. In August 2021, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder money. The defendant confirmed that he knowingly collaborated with darknet marketplaces.

Law enforcement seized various assets from him, including a device for storing bitcoins, but were unable to access the cryptocurrency. In November 2024, the creator of Helix was sentenced to three years in prison with subsequent parole. Initially, he faced up to 20 years of imprisonment. 

The Tornado Cash Case 

Legal proceedings against another crypto mixer — Tornado Cash — are ongoing. 

In August 2022, the OFAC imposed sanctions on the service. Authorities stated that over $7 billion had passed through the protocol, including funds from the North Korean hacker group Lazarus. 

In January 2025, a US appeals court overturned the restrictions due to “exceeding authority” by the regulator and sent the case to a district court in Texas. In April, a federal court prohibited the Office from reinstating or imposing new restrictions on the crypto mixer.

However, the legal pursuit of the developers has not ceased. Alexey Pertsev, found guilty of laundering $1.2 billion, was released but under electronic monitoring. 

In August, a US jury found the co-founder of the crypto mixer, Roman Storm, guilty of conspiracy to conduct an unlicensed money transmission business. He now faces up to five years in prison. 

Storm’s lawyers intend to file a motion to declare the trial invalid. 

Earlier, in January, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin spoke in support of the Tornado Cash developer. He described the service as a necessary protection against the misuse of personal data by government agencies and private corporations.