When the Iranian government cracked down on crypto trading, it didn’t shut down Bitcoin—it just made it harder to buy. The Iran crypto ban, a government policy that restricts licensed crypto exchanges but leaves mining and peer-to-peer trading in a gray zone. Also known as crypto trading restrictions in Iran, it’s not about stopping technology—it’s about controlling how money flows out of the country. While banks and official platforms are locked down, Iranians still use crypto daily—not to gamble, but to survive.
The real story isn’t the ban. It’s the crypto mining Iran, a state-regulated industry where electricity is rationed, miners must sell 75% of their output to the government, and running unlicensed rigs can land you in jail. Also known as Iranian Bitcoin mining, it’s one of the few legal ways to earn dollars in a country where the rial lost 80% of its value in five years. In 2024, Iranians sent $4.18 billion in crypto abroad—not to speculate, but to protect their life savings. Bitcoin became their only reliable bank. And while the government tries to tax and track every hash, people still find ways to send crypto through private wallets, local P2P apps, and offshore exchanges.
It’s not just mining. The crypto sanctions Iran, U.S. and EU restrictions that limit Iran’s access to global financial systems. Also known as Iran financial isolation, they forced Iranians to turn to crypto not as a trend, but as a necessity. No more PayPal. No more Western banks. No more direct wire transfers. So they built their own system—using crypto as cash. You won’t find Iranian traders on Binance or Coinbase. You’ll find them on LocalBitcoins, Telegram groups, and decentralized apps that don’t ask for ID.
What’s next? The government keeps changing the rules—shutting down mining farms one month, offering licenses the next. But the people aren’t backing down. They’re not trying to overthrow the system. They’re just trying to keep their families fed. And in that fight, Bitcoin is the only tool that works.
Below, you’ll find real reports on how Iranians are mining, moving, and surviving with crypto in 2025. No fluff. No hype. Just what’s happening on the ground—when the state says no, and the people say yes anyway.
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.