Crypto in Iran: How Iranians Use Bitcoin Despite Bans
When the Iranian government blocks access to global financial systems, people turn to crypto in Iran, a decentralized way to store value and send money across borders when banks won’t help. Also known as digital cash, it’s become a lifeline for millions facing inflation, sanctions, and frozen bank accounts. While the state calls cryptocurrency illegal, it doesn’t stop people from using it—because the alternatives are worse.
What makes crypto in Iran different from other countries isn’t just demand—it’s necessity. With the Iranian rial losing over 80% of its value since 2018, many families now keep their savings in Bitcoin, a digital asset that can’t be seized by local authorities. Also known as digital gold, it’s traded openly in peer-to-peer markets, often through Telegram and local exchanges like Wallex and P2P Bazaar. Even state-run banks avoid direct involvement, but crypto mining, a way to earn crypto by using electricity to validate transactions. Also known as digital mining, is quietly supported by the government because it turns cheap, subsidized power into hard currency exports. Iran has one of the largest mining operations in the world, using surplus energy to mine Bitcoin and sell it overseas—turning a banned technology into a national revenue stream.
For everyday users, crypto isn’t about speculation. It’s about survival. People use stablecoins like USDT to pay for medicine, send money to family abroad, or buy food when banks refuse international transfers. A teacher in Tehran might earn her salary in rials, then instantly swap them for USDT on a local P2P platform to protect against daily inflation. A small business owner uses crypto to import goods without going through sanctioned banks. Even the military and state entities use crypto to bypass Western financial controls. The result? A hidden economy built on blockchain, not bureaucracy.
And yet, the risks are real. The government arrests people for using foreign exchanges. Internet blackouts shut down crypto traffic during protests. Wallets get hacked. Scams targeting new users are everywhere. But none of this stops the flow. Why? Because crypto in Iran isn’t a trend—it’s a response to failure. When the system breaks, people build their own.
Below, you’ll find real stories and breakdowns of how Iranians navigate these challenges—what tools they use, what scams to avoid, and how crypto keeps their lives running when everything else has failed.
Crypto Adoption in Iran Under Sanctions: How Citizens Bypass Financial Isolation
Amid crippling sanctions, Iranians use cryptocurrency to bypass financial isolation, trade essentials, and preserve wealth. From mining to DAI migrations, crypto has become a lifeline - not a luxury.
