The original article, published on October 10, was titled “Hamas Militants Behind Israel Attack Raised Millions in Crypto.” It cited blockchain forensics firm Elliptic and claimed that Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) had raised as much as $93 million in cryptocurrencies between August 2021 and June 2023. However, Elliptic clarified that these funds were not necessarily raised to finance terrorism.
Correction and Clarification
In the correction, WSJ acknowledged that PIJ and the Lebanese political party Hezbollah might have exchanged up to $12 million in cryptocurrencies since 2021, as per Elliptic’s data. This amount is significantly less than the initial $93 million figure mentioned in the original article.
WSJ also updated other parts of the article to provide additional context about Elliptic’s research.
We’re pleased to see the Wall Street Journal issue some corrections to their article based on our feedback. While we would like to have seen them go further, we will continue to engage constructively.
— Elliptic (@elliptic) October 27, 2023
On October 25, Elliptic urged WSJ to correct its misinterpretation of the data. The firm emphasized that cryptocurrency funding for Hamas remains relatively small when compared to other funding sources.
Ongoing Concerns
While WSJ’s correction addressed some inaccuracies, discussions are ongoing. Critics, including Paul Grewal, Coinbase‘s chief legal officer, noted that the article’s opening paragraph still suggests that cryptocurrency was the primary funding source for Hamas in an attack on Israel. Some individuals, like Nic Carter of Castle Island Ventures, are now urging U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren to retract a letter, supported by over 100 lawmakers, which cited WSJ’s misinterpreted data to argue that cryptocurrency poses a “national security threat.”
WSJ blinked. pic.twitter.com/kXrMwg5snJ
— nic 🌠carter (@nic__carter) October 27, 2023
This correction underscores the importance of accurate reporting and data interpretation, particularly in the context of cryptocurrency’s role in financial activities related to organizations and events with broader implications.
