The US government has officially closed the book on one of the crypto world’s most notorious money laundering cases. As of this Thursday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has finalized the seizure of over $400 million in cryptocurrency and real estate tied to Helix, a "mixer" that dominated the darknet during the early Bitcoin era.
How it worked
Between 2014 and 2017, Larry Harmon operated Helix. Think of it as a digital washing machine: it took Bitcoin from darknet markets (often used for illegal drug sales), mixed it up to hide where it came from, and sent it back out clean.
The Scale: Helix tumbled at least 354,468 Bitcoin. Back then, that was worth about $300 million. Today? It’s worth billions.
The Tech: Harmon also ran "Grams," a Google-like search engine for the dark web, and built tools that let illegal marketplaces integrate Helix directly into their withdrawal systems.
The Aftermath
While Harmon was arrested back in 2020 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in 2021, these massive financial cases take years to unwind.
The Sentence: Harmon was sentenced to three years in prison in November 2024. His sentence was notably reduced because he helped the government, even testifying against the founder of another mixer, Bitcoin Fog.
The Money: A court order on January 21 formally transferred ownership of the seized assets to the US government.
This marks the official legal end of the Helix saga, proving that even years after the crime stops, the blockchain—and the law—eventually catches up.
