Iraq's Central Bank has banned all cryptocurrency transactions since 2017, with strict rules on banks and payment providers. In 2025, it's pushing a state-controlled digital currency instead - raising privacy and surveillance concerns.
Cryptocurrency Restrictions: What’s Banned, Why, and Where You Can Still Trade
When you hear cryptocurrency restrictions, government rules that limit or block the use, trading, or ownership of digital assets. Also known as crypto bans, these rules are changing fast—and they’re not just about stopping crime. Some countries outright ban crypto. Others force exchanges to collect your ID, track every transaction, and report suspicious activity. The goal? Control money flows, stop tax evasion, and prevent illicit use. But the side effect? Legit users get caught in the crossfire.
These restrictions don’t happen in a vacuum. They’re tied to crypto regulation, the set of laws governments create to oversee digital assets. In Australia, AUSTRAC registration is mandatory for any exchange operating there. In Iran, platforms like ARzPaya, a local crypto exchange that lets users trade Bitcoin and Tether with bank deposits exist because the government tolerates crypto as a workaround for sanctions. Meanwhile, places like Malta have built entire economies around clear, business-friendly rules. The difference? One is a trap, another is a roadmap.
And then there’s the hidden war: blockchain privacy, the tech that lets users hide transaction details. Privacy coins like Monero and Zcash are being pulled off exchanges because regulators say they enable illegal activity. But the same tools that hide crime also protect ordinary people from surveillance, identity theft, and government overreach. When an exchange delists a coin not because it’s a scam—but because it’s too private—that’s a cryptocurrency restriction in action.
What you’ll find below isn’t a list of rules. It’s a map of what’s actually happening on the ground. You’ll see how fake airdrops like ORI Orica Token and Zenith Coin prey on people confused by these restrictions. You’ll learn why exchanges like CrossTower and Domitai collapsed—not because they were bad, but because they couldn’t survive the regulatory squeeze. You’ll find out how Malta stays open for business while others shut down. And you’ll see why some platforms, like Exchangeist and Karura Swap, are still standing: they built for transparency, not evasion.