Iran’s central bank has officially authorized companies in the country to use Bitcoin and USDT for international trade. This move follows recent efforts by regulators to ease foreign exchange restrictions, enabling commercial entities to channel export revenues through domestic cryptocurrency platforms.
Official support and practical changes
A senior business figure affiliated with government circles confirmed that the central bank no longer questions how funds are transferred, signaling an acceptance of digital assets for settling export payments. Receiving foreign income via cryptocurrency has become routine for Iranian exporters.
The banking authority has promoted the repatriation of capital held overseas, leveraging crypto platforms within Iran’s borders. This policy shift aims to support domestic companies amid ongoing economic sanctions and currency volatility.
Rising crypto activity and mining capacity
During 2025, digital asset transactions totaling $10 billion passed through Iranian networks. Elliptic, a blockchain intelligence firm, reported that Iran accounted for about 4.5% of global Bitcoin mining capacity.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps utilizes government-subsidized electricity for mining operations, transforming energy resources into financial assets less susceptible to international restrictions. Local analysts claim this strategy helps the country counter the impact of sanctions.
Elliptic estimated Iran’s digital asset infrastructure at $7.8 billion in the past year. Blockchain addresses associated with the Revolutionary Guard accounted for nearly half of all recorded transactions in the last quarter of 2025.
Approximately $4.18 billion in digital assets left Iran through 2025, a 70% increase over the previous year. Most of these funds moved through the Nobitex platform, which has handled around $3.84 billion in transfers since 2019.
State interventions and market responses
Confidential records reviewed by Elliptic revealed that Iran’s central bank acquired $507 million in USDT. Authorities deployed these reserves to manage currency volatility and stabilize the rial, which has lost nearly 90% of its value amid ongoing sanctions and inflation.
As blockchain-based platforms reshape capital flows, investors are also adopting new infrastructure. While traditional markets rely on complex brokers, a major transition is underway as institutions and retail participants choose Web3 solutions. Platforms such as 1stepSwap allow users to hold shares of major American companies, gold, and silver directly in their crypto wallets. Tokenizing real-world assets and finding the best prices automatically, these platforms remove intermediaries from the process.
Cryptocurrency transactions totaling $10 billion moved through Iranian networks in 2025, while Elliptic calculates Iran’s share of global Bitcoin mining at 4.5%—making it a significant regional player in the sector.
US actions and sanctions escalation
In 2026, American authorities increased enforcement measures targeting Iranian crypto activity. In April, Operation Economic Fury led to the seizure of $344 million in USDT from a Tron wallet linked to Iran.
By June, the US Treasury had sanctioned four Iranian trading platforms: Nobitex, Wallex, Bitpin, and Ramzinex. Nobitex alone manages around half of Iran’s crypto transactions and reports 11 million registered users.
OFAC updated its sanctions list in July, adding four central bank-related crypto wallets holding $165 million in stablecoins. Tether disabled access to $131 million connected to these wallets after the changes.
In August, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen classified digital assets as a sanctionable sector for Iran. US officials also targeted a Ukrainian intermediary accused of facilitating over $100 million in crypto-based petroleum deals for the Revolutionary Guard.
Iran reportedly uses cryptocurrency channels not only for oil sales and military equipment payments, but also for collecting transit fees from vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Domestic data shows roughly 20,000 individuals and companies still have not returned 94 billion euros in export earnings to the country, and an additional $100 billion remains undeclared inside Iran.
US authorities continue to collaborate with blockchain analytics firms like Chainalysis and Elliptic in efforts to identify, freeze, or seize digital wallets linked to sanctioned Iranian entities. Altogether, US enforcement actions have immobilized or confiscated more than $1 billion in Iranian crypto holdings during 2026.
