When it comes to crypto regulation in Iran, a complex mix of state control, economic pressure, and underground adoption. Also known as Iranian cryptocurrency laws, it’s not about banning crypto—it’s about controlling who uses it, how, and for what. The government doesn’t outlaw Bitcoin or Ethereum. Instead, it demands you mine only with approved power, sell most of your output to state banks, and avoid using crypto to bypass sanctions. This isn’t freedom—it’s a tightly managed system where crypto is a tool for the state, not the people.
That’s why crypto mining in Iran, once a booming industry fueled by cheap electricity. Also known as Iran Bitcoin mining, it’s now a high-risk gamble. The state sets monthly electricity quotas for miners. Go over your limit? Your machines get shut off. Earn crypto? You’re forced to sell 75% of it to government-run exchanges at fixed prices. The rest? You can keep it—but only if you don’t try to move it abroad. This system doesn’t encourage innovation. It turns miners into state contractors.
And yet, millions of Iranians are still using crypto—not to mine, but to survive. In 2024, $4.18 billion in crypto outflows, a record amount sent out of Iran by ordinary citizens. Also known as Iran crypto wealth preservation, this wasn’t speculation. It was desperation. The Iranian rial lost over 70% of its value in five years. People didn’t buy Bitcoin to get rich. They bought it to keep their life savings from vanishing. Banks are unreliable. The government freezes accounts. Crypto became the only escape hatch.
There’s no official ban on holding crypto. But if you try to send it to an exchange outside Iran, you risk legal trouble. The state monitors blockchain activity. It tracks wallet addresses. It shuts down internet access for suspected traders. Meanwhile, local exchanges that claim to be "legal" are often fronts for state-controlled operations. You can trade—but only on their terms.
What you won’t find in official reports is how deeply crypto has embedded itself in daily life. From buying medicine online to paying for freelance work abroad, Iranians use crypto because there’s no other option. It’s not a trend. It’s a survival strategy. And the government knows it. That’s why they keep tightening rules—not to stop crypto, but to control who benefits from it.
Below, you’ll find real breakdowns of how Iran’s crypto rules actually work in practice: what miners face, how citizens move money out, why exchanges like BitCoke and BloFin are popular there, and what happens when the power grid fails or the state decides to crack down. These aren’t theoretical guides. They’re reports from people living inside the system.
Iran allows cryptocurrency but under strict state control. Learn how the Central Bank bans rial conversions, limits stablecoins, taxes profits, and forces users into hidden workarounds - all while promoting its own digital currency.