"A new report from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis shows that Iran's crypto ecosystem boomed in 2025, with Bitcoin playing a growing central role for both ordinary citizens seeking financial refuge and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which now dominates much of the country's on-chain activity. According to the report, Iran's crypto economy processed more than $7.78 billion in value in 2025, growing faster for most of the year than in 2024."
"One of the clearest trends identified in the report is a surge in Bitcoin withdrawals to personal wallets during mass protests in late 2025 and early 2026. Comparing activity before protests began with the period leading up to Iran's nationwide internet blackout on January 8, Chainalysis observed sharp increases in both transaction volumes and transfers from Iranian exchanges to self-custodied Bitcoin wallets. The behavior suggests Iranians are using Bitcoin as a flight to safety amid accelerating currency collapse and political uncertainty."
Iran's crypto economy processed more than $7.78 billion in 2025, with Bitcoin playing an increasingly central role. Crypto activity in Iran strongly correlates with political shocks, regional conflict, and domestic unrest, making on-chain data a real-time barometer of instability. Bitcoin withdrawals to personal wallets spiked during mass protests and ahead of a nationwide internet blackout, indicating use as a flight to safety amid currency collapse and political uncertainty. The Iranian rial has lost roughly 90% of its value since 2018 and inflation runs between 40% and 50%, driving demand for censorship-resistant self-custody and portability. Pronounced spikes in activity followed major geopolitical and domestic events.
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