Cryptocurrencies have helped the group invest its money while bypassing international financial sanctions, according to a report by the Counter Extremism Project. To combat those efforts. "Hamas was an early adopter of fundraising in crypto starting in 2019," said Ari Redbord, a former federal prosecutor and global head of policy and government affairs at TRM Labs, which is working to track Hamas funding. "They were using Telegram channels to solicit donations. They then set up website infrastructure to solicit donations." Yet, experts, including Redbord, emphasize that cryptocurrency remains a small piece of the group's financial strategy.