Iran has turned its excess electricity into a billion-dollar crypto lifeline, using Bitcoin mining to bypass U.S. sanctions and fund its economy-despite blackouts, inequality, and international pressure.
Iran Bitcoin Mining: What's Really Happening and How It Connects to Global Crypto Trends
When you think of Iran Bitcoin mining, the practice of using computational power in Iran to validate Bitcoin transactions and earn rewards. Also known as crypto mining in Iran, it’s one of the most unusual stories in modern cryptocurrency — driven by cheap electricity, government tolerance, and a population cut off from traditional finance. Even though Iran’s Central Bank banned crypto transactions in 2017, Bitcoin mining was quietly exempted — not because it was approved, but because it was too hard to stop. Miners started using surplus power from state-run energy grids, often running rigs in garages and warehouses. The government didn’t legalize it, but it didn’t shut it down either. That gray zone turned Iran into one of the top five Bitcoin mining countries by 2023.
This isn’t just about hardware. It’s tied to ARzPaya exchange, Iran’s leading local crypto platform that lets users trade Bitcoin and Tether using Iranian rials through bank transfers. Because international banks won’t touch crypto, Iranians rely on Tether (USDT) as their bridge to global markets. Miners sell their Bitcoin for USDT on ARzPaya, then cash out in rials. It’s a workaround that keeps the whole system alive. Meanwhile, the government has been pushing its own digital currency — a move that hints at surveillance, not innovation. If they control the digital rial, they can track every transaction, making private crypto use even riskier.
What makes Iran’s case unique is how it flips the script on crypto regulation. Most countries ban mining to control capital flight or protect banks. Iran bans trading but lets mining continue because it earns hard currency. This creates a strange dynamic: miners are technically operating in a legal gray area, yet they’re helping the country avoid sanctions. It’s not a policy — it’s a survival tactic.
And it’s not just about Bitcoin. The same infrastructure powers other coins. You’ll find miners running Ethereum Classic, Monero, and even newer tokens — anything that pays well and doesn’t require KYC. But here’s the catch: most of these operations are small-scale, hidden, and under constant threat of sudden raids. Power outages, equipment seizures, and internet blackouts are common. The miners don’t advertise. They don’t have offices. They just keep running.
What you’ll find in this collection are real stories from inside Iran’s crypto underground. From reviews of the only exchanges that actually work there — like ARzPaya — to deep dives on how Tether became the unofficial national currency, to warnings about fake platforms pretending to serve Iranian users. You’ll also see how Iran’s mining boom connects to global trends: the rise of surveillance tech, the decline of privacy coins, and how governments are learning from each other’s mistakes. Some posts expose scams targeting Iranians. Others explain how miners adapt when the lights go out. None of them sugarcoat the risks.