Iran relaxes cryptocurrency controls, seeks breakthrough in sanctions Iran has been trying for many years to establish a financial system that can circumvent sanctions, including through the use of cryptocurrency. Although the United States and Europe have begun to block entities trading cryptocurrencies with Iran, it still cannot prevent cryptocurrencies from being used for cross-border transactions by Iran. According to reports, Iran is allowing businesses to use USDT and Bitcoin to complete some cross-border transactions, while allowing exporters more flexibility in using overseas income, including direct payment of import payments without going through the official foreign exchange system. In 2019, Iran officially recognized the cryptocurrency mining industry and subsequently established a licensing system, requiring relevant miners to pay electricity fees according to regulations and sell the mined Bitcoin: native to the Iranian central bank. Blockchain analysis company Elliptic estimated in a 2021 study that approximately 4.5% of global Bitcoin mining activities occurred in Iran at that time. Based on the mining scale and price at that time, the annualized revenue was close to $1 billion. Iran has oil and natural gas, but its energy exports and bank payments are subject to sanctions restrictions. By mining, Iran can use its own energy to obtain Bitcoin, which can then be used to pay for imported goods and reduce dependence on sanctioned bank payment channels. Moreover, Russia is also implementing the practice of indirectly selling energy through mining, bypassing trade and payment restrictions. In addition to mining cryptocurrencies, they are also used to transfer oil sales revenue. In September 2025, the US Treasury Department sanctioned two Iranian financial professionals and related companies, accusing them of arranging over $100 million in cryptocurrency purchases for the Iranian government's oil sales and transferring funds through overseas corporate networks. In June 2026, the United States imposed sanctions on four Iranian cryptocurrency trading platforms, Nobitex, Bitpin, Ramzinex, and Wallex. The US accuses these platforms of assisting in evading sanctions and handling transactions related to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Among them, Nobitex has also been accused by the US Treasury Department of helping the Iranian central bank obtain billions of dollars in stablecoins to support the riyal exchange rate, while assisting Iranian regime officials in accessing overseas cryptocurrency trading platforms and transferring funds. @Gate Crypto、 US stocks, Hong Kong stocks, South Korean stocks, gold CFD、 Predicting one-stop trading in the market