Crypto exchanges to avoid if you are Iranian in 2025

If you're an Iranian crypto user, choosing the wrong exchange could mean losing your money overnight-no warning, no appeal, no recourse. It's not just about bad customer service or slow withdrawals. It’s about asset seizures, government crackdowns, and sanctions that don’t care if you’re just trying to protect your savings. As of October 2025, the risks have never been higher. Many exchanges you think are safe are actually ticking time bombs for Iranian users.

Exchanges that freeze Iranian funds without notice

Tether, the company behind USDT, isn’t just another stablecoin issuer. It’s the enforcement arm of U.S. sanctions in the crypto world. On July 2, 2025, Tether froze 42 cryptocurrency addresses linked to Iranian users. Half of those wallets were connected to Nobitex, Iran’s biggest exchange with over 11 million users. These weren’t random accounts-they were real people trying to buy groceries, pay bills, or send money to family abroad. And now their funds are gone, locked by a company based in the Cayman Islands with no legal obligation to explain why.

This isn’t an isolated incident. Every major international exchange-Coinbase, Kraken, Binance-uses the same screening tools as Tether. If your IP address, bank account, or even a transaction history shows any link to Iran, your account gets flagged. Sometimes it’s a temporary freeze. Other times, it’s permanent. There’s no appeals process. No human to talk to. Just silence.

Nobitex: Iran’s largest exchange-and a sanctioned target

Nobitex is where most Iranians trade crypto. It’s local, it’s easy to use, and it supports rial deposits. But that’s exactly why it’s dangerous. In June 2025, Nobitex suffered a $90 million hack. The attackers didn’t break in from outside-they exploited internal weaknesses tied to the exchange’s compliance with Iran’s opaque financial rules.

More troubling, blockchain analytics firm Elliptic found that Nobitex’s wallet activity patterns match those of IRGC-linked financial networks. That doesn’t mean Nobitex is run by the Revolutionary Guard. It means its infrastructure has become part of a larger system used to bypass sanctions. And when international regulators crack down, they don’t distinguish between criminals and ordinary users. Everyone connected to Nobitex gets swept up.

If you’re using Nobitex, you’re not just trading crypto. You’re operating inside a system that’s under active international investigation. Your funds are not yours to control-they’re vulnerable to both hackers and sanctions enforcers.

Stablecoin restrictions are now law in Iran

In September 2025, Iran’s Central Bank imposed strict limits on stablecoin ownership. Individuals can now only hold up to $10,000 in USDT, DAI, or any other stablecoin. Any amount above that must be reduced within 30 days-or face penalties. The law also caps annual purchases at $5,000 per person.

This targets exchanges that rely heavily on stablecoins. Many Iranian users use USDT as a bridge currency because it’s the only way to move value across borders without using banks. But now, those same exchanges are being forced to monitor, report, and restrict users. If you’re on an exchange that doesn’t enforce these limits, you risk being flagged by Iranian authorities. If you’re on one that does, your funds are locked.

The result? A lose-lose situation. You can’t store value safely, and you can’t move it freely.

Exchanges promoted by IRGC-linked media

Tasnim News Agency, a media outlet directly tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has published multiple articles warning users about “Tether freezes” and pushing alternative platforms. On the surface, it sounds like helpful advice. But here’s the catch: any exchange promoted by IRGC-affiliated channels is now under increased scrutiny by U.S. and UN sanctions bodies.

Why? Because the IRGC is one of the most sanctioned entities on Earth. If an exchange is being pushed by them, it’s likely already flagged for sanctions evasion. Even if the exchange itself is clean, being associated with IRGC messaging makes it a target.

Iranian users who follow these “trusted” recommendations are often the first to get their accounts frozen. The government isn’t protecting you-it’s using you as cover.

Unregulated and informal platforms are traps

As licensed exchanges tighten rules, more Iranians are turning to informal trading groups on Telegram, WhatsApp, or local peer-to-peer networks. These platforms promise anonymity and no KYC. But they’re also the most dangerous.

There’s no customer support. No insurance. No dispute resolution. One day, your counterparty disappears with your money. Another day, the platform shuts down without warning. In 2025 alone, at least seven major informal crypto trading groups in Tehran and Mashhad collapsed, wiping out millions in user funds.

These aren’t scams-they’re systemic failures. Without regulation, there’s no accountability. And without accountability, there’s no safety.

Why even licensed Iranian exchanges are risky

In early 2025, Iran’s Central Bank forced all crypto exchanges to get licensed and submit detailed transaction logs. This sounds like a good thing-until you realize the government now has a complete map of who’s trading what, when, and with whom.

The Law on Taxation of Speculation and Profiteering, enacted in August 2025, treats crypto like gold or forex. That means every trade is taxable. Licensed exchanges are now required to report your trading history to tax authorities. If you’re using a licensed platform, your entire transaction history is in the hands of a government that can’t legally send money abroad.

Your privacy is gone. Your financial activity is tracked. And if you’re flagged for “unauthorized foreign transactions,” you could face fines, asset seizures, or worse.

What to do instead

There’s no perfect solution-but there are safer paths.

• Avoid exchanges that rely on USDT. Use DAI on the Polygon network instead-it’s less monitored and more decentralized.
• Never store large amounts on any exchange. Keep only what you need for trading. Move the rest to non-custodial wallets like MetaMask or Trust Wallet.
• Use hardware wallets for long-term storage. Ledger and Trezor are still accessible in Iran and offer the best protection.
• Stay off platforms promoted by IRGC-linked media. They’re not helping you-they’re testing you.
• Don’t trust “local” exchanges just because they accept rials. Check their history, their security audits, and whether they’ve been hacked before.

The bottom line

Crypto isn’t a magic fix for Iran’s economic problems. It’s a high-risk tool in a high-risk environment. The exchanges you think are safe are either under sanctions, under government control, or about to be hacked. The ones that seem free are the most dangerous.

Your money isn’t safe just because it’s digital. It’s only safe if you understand who controls it-and who can take it away.