When it comes to Iran crypto legality, the official stance bans domestic cryptocurrency use to protect the national currency, but enforcement is patchy and underground markets thrive. Also known as crypto regulations in Iran, this isn’t a simple yes-or-no rule—it’s a gap between government policy and daily reality. The Central Bank of Iran prohibits banks from handling crypto transactions, and the government has repeatedly warned citizens against using Bitcoin or Ethereum for payments. But these rules don’t stop people. In fact, Iran has one of the highest rates of crypto adoption in the Middle East, with millions using digital assets to bypass inflation, access global goods, and send money abroad.
Why? Because the Iranian rial has lost over 80% of its value since 2018. People aren’t buying crypto for speculation—they’re using it as a lifeline. Peer-to-peer trading, cash dealers in bazaars, and encrypted messaging apps have become the new banking system. Unlike Russia, where crypto is tightly controlled for international trade, Iran’s system is mostly informal. There’s no licensing for exchanges, no official oversight, and no legal protection for users. Yet, crypto mining still happens at scale, fueled by cheap electricity and government tolerance—until it isn’t. In 2023, Iran temporarily shut down mining operations to save power, then quietly restarted them months later. This back-and-forth shows the real policy: crypto is too useful to fully ban, but too dangerous to fully embrace.
What does this mean for you? If you’re thinking about trading crypto in Iran, don’t rely on exchanges like Binance or Coinbase—they’re blocked. You’ll need P2P platforms, local cash meetups, or Telegram groups to buy and sell. And if you’re holding crypto there, you’re doing it at your own risk. There’s no FDIC-style insurance, no legal recourse if a dealer disappears, and no clear tax rules. The government has cracked down on miners and traders before, seizing equipment and arresting people. But the system keeps working. This isn’t about legality—it’s about survival. The posts below show how people in similar environments—like Myanmar and Russia—navigate crypto under restrictions. You’ll find real stories about hidden trades, scams targeting desperate users, and how crypto becomes a tool when traditional systems fail. This isn’t theory. It’s what’s happening right now, in real time, on the ground in Iran and beyond.
Iran allows businesses to accept cryptocurrency-but only through strict government-controlled exchanges. Learn the rules, hidden costs, taxes, and real risks of using crypto in Iran in 2025.