HiAnime generated approximately $12.85 million in illegal advertising revenue between 2020 and April 2026.
HiAnime's rapid rise: domains, traffic, and catalog
What began on the Zoro.to domain evolved through two rebrands—first to Aniwatch (Aniwatch.to) in July 2023 and again in March 2024 as HiAnime/H!Anime (HiAnime.to). The service provided free access to a vast library of English-subtitled and dubbed anime and drew several hundred million visitors each month. Between late 2024 and 2025 HiAnime’s web traffic temporarily surpassed legal streaming platforms such as Disney+ and Crunchyroll, making it the largest anime piracy streaming service prior to its shutdown in June.
Scope of the alleged infringement and revenue claimed
Vietnamese authorities say the operation created more than 100 websites to upload in excess of 26,000 pirated anime films. Investigators attribute to the service about $12.85 million in advertising revenue accumulated from 2020 through April 2026. The platform’s scale and reach led to HiAnime being placed on both the European Commission’s Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List and the United States Trade Representative’s Notorious Markets list.
Arrests, charges, and the Vietnamese agencies involved
Vietnamese authorities have arrested and are prosecuting seven suspects believed to have run HiAnime. The defendants face charges of infringing copyright and related rights, together with money laundering. Four of the suspects are detained and three have been placed under house arrest. The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment singled out Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS), naming C03, the Economic Crimes Investigation Department, and A05, the Department of Cybersecurity and High‑Tech Crime Prevention, in its statement of appreciation.
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment and U.S. partner agencies
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a coalition the source describes as “over 50 media and entertainment companies,” confirmed the law‑enforcement action and thanked U.S. authorities for their support. In ACE’s words: “ACE applauds the actions of Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security (MPS), in particular C03, the Economic Crimes Investigation Department, and A05, the Department of Cybersecurity and High‑Tech Crime Prevention, in arresting and prosecuting seven operators believed to be behind Hianime and related piracy services.” ACE also “thanked its partners, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Department of Justice, for their continued support in this multi‑year investigation and action,” and said it looks forward to continuing to support the MPS and working more closely on future actions against piracy services.
Related ACE operations and precedents
ACE has been active against large pirate platforms elsewhere. In March of the same year, ACE announced the shutdown of AnimePlay, described as a major anime streaming platform that hosted more than 60 terabytes of anime TV shows and movies and had over 5 million registered users. According to ACE, the coalition dismantled AnimePlay by taking all infrastructure offline, including hosting servers and web domains—an action ACE presented alongside its acknowledgment of the recent Vietnamese arrests.
How Vietnamese law enforcement, ACE, and anime viewers are positioned
- Vietnamese law enforcement (the MPS, C03, and A05): These agencies executed arrests and prosecutions of seven individuals tied to HiAnime and are pursuing charges of copyright infringement and money laundering. The case reflects multi‑agency investigative work described in ACE’s statement.
- ACE and U.S. partner agencies (Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Department of Justice): ACE confirmed its role supporting a multi‑year investigation and explicitly thanked U.S. partners for continued assistance; ACE stated it intends to continue supporting MPS in future actions against piracy services.
- Anime viewers and users: Audiences who accessed free English‑subbed and dubbed content through HiAnime lost access when the service shut down in June; the platform had previously attracted several hundred million visitors monthly and briefly outpaced major legal streamers in traffic.
The arrests mark a capstone in a multi‑year campaign that combined public naming (EU and USTR watch lists), coalition pressure and infrastructure takedowns, and cross‑border investigative support. ACE framed the action as collaborative and forward‑looking—thanking U.S. partners and saying it will continue to work with Vietnam’s MPS—leaving the public record focused on enforcement outcomes and further cooperation rather than on investigative detail.
