Iran Eases Crypto Rules Amid US Sanctions Push
Iran has relaxed its currency controls to allow businesses to use cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and USDT to move overseas earnings and facilitate trade, as the country faces sanctions from the US. The move is a response to Washington's broader sanctions campaign against Iran, which has targeted Iranian exchanges and wallets.
The US has sanctioned Nobitex, Iran's largest crypto exchange, and other digital-asset networks over alleged sanctions evasion and ties to the IRGC. Tether froze hundreds of millions of dollars linked to Iran's central bank in April, but nearly $10 billion in crypto still flowed through the country in 2025, according to TRM Labs.
Iran's significant Bitcoin mining industry provides another way for the country to earn crypto outside traditional trade channels. Tehran economist Saeed Laylaz told the FT that sanctions pressure only deepens Iran's reliance on cryptocurrencies: 'the blockade has holes'. The central bank is reportedly letting funds through by whatever route works, including crypto exchanges.