The US government has secured legal ownership of more than $400m in assets tied to the Helix darknet cryptocurrency mixing service, closing a lengthy enforcement case.
The forfeiture was finalised on Jan. 29, 2026, after the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia obtained legal title to the seized assets.
The assets include cryptocurrencies, real estate, and monetary holdings connected to the operation of the Helix service.
“Last week, the government obtained legal title over more than $400 million in seized cryptocurrencies, real estate, and monetary assets tied to the operation of the darknet mixing service, Helix,”
The US Attorney’s Office said.
Authorities confirmed the assets were originally seized from Larry Dean Harmon, who operated Helix between 2014 and 2017.
Helix was widely used on darknet markets to obscure the origin and destination of bitcoin transactions.
Court filings show the service processed around 354,468 bitcoin during its operation, valued at more than $300m at the time.
Investigators said a significant portion of the transactions were linked to darknet drug marketplaces.
Harmon also ran Grams, a darknet search engine designed to integrate directly with major darknet markets.
Both Helix and Grams were built to connect with darknet platforms through application programming interfaces linked to bitcoin withdrawal systems.
Law enforcement agencies traced tens of millions of dollars in illicit proceeds flowing through Helix.
Investigators said Harmon retained a percentage of the funds as commission fees for operating the service.
The forfeiture followed a Jan. 21 court order issued by US District Judge Beryl A. Howell.
The order finalised government ownership after a settlement with a mortgage holder connected to one of Harmon’s properties.
The investigation involved the IRS Criminal Investigation Cyber Crimes Unit and the FBI Washington Field Office.
Additional support came from international partners, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and multiple US Justice Department offices.
Harmon pleaded guilty in August 2021 to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
He was sentenced to 36 months in prison, followed by supervised release and forfeiture penalties.
Officials said the case underscores continued enforcement pressure on illicit cryptocurrency services.