#U.S. Secures $400 Million in Assets Tied to Helix Cryptocurrency Mixer

The United States has obtained legal title to over $400 million worth of seized cryptocurrencies, real estate, and monetary assets linked to the operation of the darknet mixing service Helix.

#The Helix Mixing Service

Helix was a popular mixing service on the darknet, used by online drug dealers to launder their illicit proceeds. The service processed transactions involving over $300 million worth of cryptocurrency from 2014 to 2017.

#The Investigation

The investigation found that Helix was connected to Grams, a darknet search engine also run by Larry Dean Harmon, the operator of Helix. Helix processed at least approximately 354,468 bitcoin — the equivalent of approximately $311,145,854 in U.S. dollars at the time of the transactions — on behalf of its customers.

#The Seized Assets

The assets seized include:

• Cryptocurrencies worth over $400 million
• Real Estate properties
• Monetary assets

These assets were previously seized from Harmon and were declared forfeited to the government on January 21, 2026.

#The Charges

Harmon pleaded guilty to:

• Conspiracy to commit money laundering

#The Sentence

He was sentenced to:

• 36 months imprisonment
• Three years of supervised release
• Forfeiture of seized property