How Iran is thriving on Bitcoin
By 2025, Iran’s crypto ecosystem had reached $7.78 billion, a figure comparable to the GDP of some countries.
- Apr 8, 2026,
- Updated Apr 8, 2026 8:13 AM IST
American businessman, entrepreneur, and author Robert Kiyosaki provided a striking perspective on how Iran has navigated severe economic sanctions. The entrepreneur, in a Facebook post on Tuesday, noted that when the US froze Iran out of the dollar system in 2018, the country found an alternative route: Bitcoin.
In 2019, Iran officially recognized Bitcoin mining as a legitimate industry and quietly handed control to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). By then, the country had already found a way to capitalize on its cheap energy resources, turning them into a financial asset through cryptocurrency.
With electricity costs as low as $0.01 (₹93) per kilowatt-hour, Iran could mine Bitcoin at a cost of just $1,300 (₹1,20,766). Given Bitcoin's market price, which soared to tens of thousands of dollars, the profits were substantial. The math was straightforward: a low cost of production paired with a high market value led to significant financial gain.
By 2021, Iran controlled 7.5% of the global Bitcoin hashrate, ranking fifth in the world, behind only the US, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Canada. By 2025, Iran’s crypto ecosystem had reached $7.78 billion, a figure comparable to the GDP of some countries. The IRGC alone received over $3 billion through Bitcoin in a single year.
Despite facing economic isolation, Iran adapted. While the US imposed sanctions, including threats of destroying Iran’s power grid, these measures were often seen as political tactics. In reality, they represented financial warfare, aimed at disrupting Iran’s Bitcoin mining operations — the main source of revenue for the IRGC.
Although the US can freeze bank accounts, it cannot freeze electricity. It cannot ban mathematics. Iran exploited the gap between traditional financial systems and decentralized assets like Bitcoin, moving billions of dollars under the nose of one of the world’s most sophisticated financial surveillance systems.
Kiyosaki’s broader message highlights the power of financial innovation: the most significant financial move of the last decade did not originate from Wall Street or hedge funds but from a sanctioned nation that saw the potential of cheap energy and decentralized currency. Iran connected the dots before others could.
As Robert Kiyosaki writes in his post, “The dollar is a weapon. Gold is protection. Bitcoin is the exit door.” He further elaborates on the shifting dynamics of wealth, emphasizing that governments have long controlled money, and history shows they will continue to do so. The question is: are you ready when they decide your money is next?
The author further added, “Gold, silver, and Bitcoin are real assets. They exist outside the system and are beyond control.”
How the current war began
The current phase of the conflict began on February 28, when US and Israeli forces carried out coordinated strikes on Iranian military and nuclear-linked sites.
The strikes killed several senior figures, including top commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and nuclear scientists.
Iran responded with missile and drone attacks targeting US bases, Israeli-linked infrastructure and shipping routes across West Asia. Cities such as Riyadh and areas near US military installations have faced repeated attacks, though many incoming missiles have been intercepted.
The conflict has since expanded beyond direct military targets.
Attacks on commercial shipping in the Gulf and the Red Sea have disrupted global trade routes, while parts of the Strait of Hormuz — a key energy corridor — have seen disruptions. Oil prices have surged sharply amid fears of supply shocks.
American businessman, entrepreneur, and author Robert Kiyosaki provided a striking perspective on how Iran has navigated severe economic sanctions. The entrepreneur, in a Facebook post on Tuesday, noted that when the US froze Iran out of the dollar system in 2018, the country found an alternative route: Bitcoin.
In 2019, Iran officially recognized Bitcoin mining as a legitimate industry and quietly handed control to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). By then, the country had already found a way to capitalize on its cheap energy resources, turning them into a financial asset through cryptocurrency.
With electricity costs as low as $0.01 (₹93) per kilowatt-hour, Iran could mine Bitcoin at a cost of just $1,300 (₹1,20,766). Given Bitcoin's market price, which soared to tens of thousands of dollars, the profits were substantial. The math was straightforward: a low cost of production paired with a high market value led to significant financial gain.
By 2021, Iran controlled 7.5% of the global Bitcoin hashrate, ranking fifth in the world, behind only the US, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Canada. By 2025, Iran’s crypto ecosystem had reached $7.78 billion, a figure comparable to the GDP of some countries. The IRGC alone received over $3 billion through Bitcoin in a single year.
Despite facing economic isolation, Iran adapted. While the US imposed sanctions, including threats of destroying Iran’s power grid, these measures were often seen as political tactics. In reality, they represented financial warfare, aimed at disrupting Iran’s Bitcoin mining operations — the main source of revenue for the IRGC.
Although the US can freeze bank accounts, it cannot freeze electricity. It cannot ban mathematics. Iran exploited the gap between traditional financial systems and decentralized assets like Bitcoin, moving billions of dollars under the nose of one of the world’s most sophisticated financial surveillance systems.
Kiyosaki’s broader message highlights the power of financial innovation: the most significant financial move of the last decade did not originate from Wall Street or hedge funds but from a sanctioned nation that saw the potential of cheap energy and decentralized currency. Iran connected the dots before others could.
As Robert Kiyosaki writes in his post, “The dollar is a weapon. Gold is protection. Bitcoin is the exit door.” He further elaborates on the shifting dynamics of wealth, emphasizing that governments have long controlled money, and history shows they will continue to do so. The question is: are you ready when they decide your money is next?
The author further added, “Gold, silver, and Bitcoin are real assets. They exist outside the system and are beyond control.”
How the current war began
The current phase of the conflict began on February 28, when US and Israeli forces carried out coordinated strikes on Iranian military and nuclear-linked sites.
The strikes killed several senior figures, including top commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and nuclear scientists.
Iran responded with missile and drone attacks targeting US bases, Israeli-linked infrastructure and shipping routes across West Asia. Cities such as Riyadh and areas near US military installations have faced repeated attacks, though many incoming missiles have been intercepted.
The conflict has since expanded beyond direct military targets.
Attacks on commercial shipping in the Gulf and the Red Sea have disrupted global trade routes, while parts of the Strait of Hormuz — a key energy corridor — have seen disruptions. Oil prices have surged sharply amid fears of supply shocks.