Iran — crypto regulation

Status: restricted · Last reviewed 2026-11-05

The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) is the sole crypto regulator. Domestic crypto payments are banned, licensed miners must sell output to the CBI, and most mining runs illegally on subsidised power. In 2026 the US moved against Iran's crypto rails: Tether and OFAC froze and designated CBI-linked USDT wallets ($344M in Apr, about $130M more in Jul), and on 2 Jun 2026 OFAC sanctioned the four largest exchanges (Nobitex, Wallex, Bitpin, Ramzinex) and Nobitex's founders. The CBI completed a digital rial pre-pilot in Apr 2026.

Legislation