DOJ Finalizes $400M Crypto Forfeiture in Helix Mixer Case
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has finalized the forfeiture of more than $400 million in cryptocurrency and other assets connected to Helix, an early Bitcoin-era darknet mixing service, according to a statement released Thursday. The assets were seized from Larry Harmon, who operated Helix, which facilitated transactions between 2014 and 2017. The service was used to obscure the origin and destination of Bitcoin (BTC) associated with darknet markets.
The action follows a Jan. 21 order by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which formally transferred ownership of the assets to the government. The final order grants the government legal title to the seized digital assets, real estate, and financial holdings tied to Helix’s operations.
The resolution concludes one of the earliest prosecutions involving a Bitcoin mixing service in U.S. courts and underscores that major crypto enforcement cases can take years to fully conclude after the underlying conduct ends.
Helix processed hundreds of thousands of Bitcoin
According to the DOJ, Helix handled at least 354,468 Bitcoin during its operation, valued at about $300 million at the time. Prosecutors linked this activity to darknet drug markets seeking to launder illicit proceeds.
Harmon also ran Grams, a search engine that supported major darknet markets active during that period. Investigators said Helix’s application programming interface enabled marketplaces to embed the mixer directly into their Bitcoin withdrawal processes, facilitating large-scale laundering. The DOJ said investigators traced tens of millions of dollars from darknet markets to Helix.
Forfeiture finalized years after sentencing
Harmon was arrested in February 2020 and pleaded guilty in August 2021 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was sentenced in November 2024 to three years in prison. At sentencing, the court ordered the forfeiture of assets valued at more than $400 million. Last week’s order finalized the forfeiture, transferring clear legal title to the U.S. government.
His sentence was reduced after he cooperated with investigators, including providing testimony in the Bitcoin Fog case involving Roman Sterlingov.
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