Iran quietly loosens rules for crypto export payments
Regulation & Gov ·
Iran's central bank has relaxed currency controls to let exporters bring foreign earnings home through crypto channels, with sector volume nearing $10 billion this year.
Facing continued US sanctions and restricted access to global banking, Iran's monetary authority has in recent months softened its stance on how businesses move money across borders, according to reporting cited by wublockchain.xyz. Exporters are now permitted to route incoming payments through several channels, one of which is digital assets processed via domestic crypto exchanges.
Traders and firms can settle overseas transactions using USDT, BTC, and other tokens, with USDT emerging as the preferred instrument for these deals. A representative from a state-affiliated firm described the shift plainly, saying that collecting export revenue through crypto now functions as standard practice rather than an exception.
Blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs estimated that crypto transaction activity tied to Iran climbed to nearly $10 billion over the course of 2025, a figure that points to substantial scale for what had previously operated in a more informal or restricted capacity. The Central Bank of Iran has not issued any public comment on the policy change or the volume figures.
The development aligns with broader reporting in the same cluster indicating that Iran is turning to digital currencies as a practical workaround to sanctions pressure, using crypto rails to keep trade income flowing despite exclusion from conventional financial networks.
What remains unclear is how the central bank plans to formalize or regulate this crypto-based settlement activity going forward, whether other cryptocurrencies beyond USDT and BTC will see expanded use, and how international regulators or sanctions enforcement bodies might respond as the reported volume continues to grow.