Crypto Restrictions in Iran: Mining Laws, Bans, and What’s Really Happening

When it comes to crypto restrictions in Iran, government control over digital currency activities that includes mining bans, electricity quotas, and state-run operations. Also known as Iran cryptocurrency law, these rules aren’t about banning crypto outright—they’re about making sure the state gets the power, the profits, and the control. Unlike countries that outright ban Bitcoin, Iran lets people mine—but only if they play by rules written by the government.

At the heart of this is crypto mining Iran, the process of validating Bitcoin and other blockchain transactions using specialized hardware, heavily regulated by Iranian authorities. Also known as Bitcoin mining restrictions, it’s a two-tier system: regular citizens face skyrocketing electricity prices and sudden shutdowns, while state-linked operations get cheap power and legal protection. The government doesn’t want you to profit—it wants to profit for itself. In 2025, miners are told to use only government-approved electricity, and any unregistered mining rig can be seized. Some miners report being fined or jailed after their rigs were detected by utility monitoring systems.

It’s not just about mining. Iran crypto regulations, a patchwork of policies that control how crypto is bought, sold, and used within the country. Also known as crypto restrictions in Iran, they’ve pushed users toward peer-to-peer trading and offshore exchanges, because local platforms are either shut down or forced to comply with state surveillance. The central bank doesn’t recognize crypto as legal tender, but it also doesn’t stop people from using it—so long as they don’t use it to move money out of the country or avoid sanctions. That’s why you’ll see Iranians trading Bitcoin on LocalBitcoins or P2P apps, often at steep premiums, just to get around currency controls.

What’s next? The government is quietly building its own digital currency, backed by oil and gas revenues. It’s not Bitcoin. It’s not Ethereum. It’s a centralized digital rial with no decentralization, no privacy, and no user control. This isn’t innovation—it’s control dressed up as progress. If you’re in Iran and you’re mining or trading crypto, you’re walking a tightrope. One wrong move—using too much power, holding too much Bitcoin, talking about it online—and you could lose everything.

Below, you’ll find real reports, legal breakdowns, and firsthand accounts of what’s happening on the ground. No fluff. No guesses. Just what’s working, what’s banned, and who’s really in charge.