Bitcoin Adoption Surges in Iran Amid Protests and Rial Collapse
Bitcoin adoption in Iran is surging as citizens seek financial refuge amid protests and the collapse of the Iranian rial.Summary
A Chainalysis report indicates that Iran's crypto ecosystem, heavily featuring Bitcoin, processed over $7.78 billion in value in 2025, growing rapidly alongside domestic unrest and geopolitical shocks. Citizens are increasingly using Bitcoin for self-custody as a flight to safety due to the rial losing 90% of its value since 2018 and high inflation. This behavior, marked by spikes in withdrawals to personal wallets during protests and internet blackouts, mirrors crisis adoption seen elsewhere. Concurrently, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is dominating the on-chain activity, with IRGC-linked addresses receiving about 50% of all crypto value in Q4 2025, utilizing these networks for sanctions evasion, illicit finance, and funding proxies. Ultimately, Bitcoin serves a dual role in Iran: a financial escape valve for civilians and a sanctions-evasion tool for the state apparatus.
(Source：Bitcoin Magazine)