Cryptocurrency Laws in Iran: Mining Rules, Bans, and Wealth Flight Explained

When it comes to cryptocurrency laws in Iran, the government permits crypto activities under heavy restrictions, making it one of the most controlled crypto environments in the world. Also known as Iranian crypto regulations, these rules aren’t about banning crypto—they’re about controlling who uses it, how, and for what. Unlike countries that outright ban digital assets, Iran lets people mine Bitcoin and trade tokens, but only if they follow state-mandated rules. The real story isn’t about prohibition—it’s about survival.

At the heart of Iran’s crypto scene is crypto mining Iran, a practice that exploded after sanctions cut off access to global banking. Also known as Iranian Bitcoin mining, it became a lifeline for households and small businesses trying to protect savings from hyperinflation. But in 2024, the government stepped in hard: miners must now buy electricity through state-approved channels, face strict power limits, and can’t sell their mined coins on open markets. Most must sell 75% of their output to a government-run exchange at fixed prices. This isn’t regulation for security—it’s state capture of crypto wealth. Meanwhile, Iran crypto regulations also target individuals who use crypto to move money abroad. Also known as crypto outflows Iran, these rules punish those who bypass the national currency, even if their goal is just to save money from collapsing value. In 2024 alone, Iranians sent $4.18 billion in crypto overseas—not to gamble, not to speculate, but to preserve what little wealth they had left.

What you won’t hear in official reports is how ordinary Iranians use crypto as their only reliable tool against economic collapse. Bitcoin isn’t a trend here—it’s a backup bank. The government knows this. That’s why they allow mining but lock down the profits. They let people trade, but only on platforms they control. They don’t ban crypto—they try to own it. And yet, people still find ways to move value out. The result? A quiet, desperate underground economy built on blockchain, where the real law isn’t written in Tehran—it’s written in wallets and transaction hashes.

Below, you’ll find real breakdowns of how Iran’s crypto rules work in practice: the electricity limits, the mining bans that come out of nowhere, the billion-dollar outflows, and the scams that prey on people trying to navigate this system. These aren’t theoretical guides—they’re survival reports from inside one of the most unusual crypto landscapes on earth.