Iran Blocks Rial Accounts for Crypto Exchanges Amid Market Manipulation Concerns

The Central Bank of Iran is taking steps to block rial accounts and payment gateways associated with certain crypto exchanges, citing concerns over market manipulation.

This move targets two key areas: the rial bank accounts used by exchanges to hold customer deposits, and the payment gateways that facilitate money movement in and out. Without these systems, users will struggle to fund their accounts with local currency.

This action builds on earlier restrictions introduced in late September 2026, which placed temporary limits on USDT trading against the toman. The rules capped purchases at 2,000 USDT per user per day for participating exchanges and suspended trading every night from 21:00 to 09:00 Tehran time.

The affected platforms include Nobitex and Wallex, two of Iran's largest domestic exchanges. Ramzinex and Bitpin have also implemented similar limits. The September restrictions were initially intended to be temporary but had not been lifted as of the Central Bank's latest announcement.