4 days ago
2 min read
Summary
- Iran’s central bank has reportedly eased controls to let traders bring export earnings home using USDT and bitcoin.
- Exporters can use overseas earnings to fund imports directly, bypassing the official foreign-exchange system, the FT reported.
- The central bank declined to comment. The report did not quantify how much export revenue has returned through crypto.
Iran’s central bank has quietly encouraged merchants to repatriate foreign income using digital assets, such as Tether’s USDT and bitcoin BTC $77,129.30, in an effort to maintain commercial activity amid escalating American sanctions.
According to the Financial Times, citing government insiders and market analysts, officials have relaxed currency restrictions over the past few months, permitting companies to settle international deals through local digital asset platforms.
This reported modification resolves a persistent barrier for exporters. In the past, companies were required to funnel a major portion of their foreign revenue through a state-operated platform utilizing official rates that frequently trailed market valuations, creating an incentive to keep capital abroad or smuggle it back clandestinely.
The FT noted that traders can now convert foreign funds at market values and utilize export receipts to pay for their own import needs without channeling the capital through the government framework.
Iranian officials estimate that local enterprises have amassed more than $100 billion in unreported earnings domestically and internationally.
Alireza Bozorgmehri, a board member of the Iran Digital Transformation Association, mentioned to the publication that the central bank has also lessened its oversight regarding crypto trading venues.
Historically, Iran has engaged in cryptocurrency-based commerce, having executed a $10 million import purchase funded by digital assets back in 2022.
Those transactional networks stay vulnerable to American enforcement measures. Washington added four digital wallets connected to the Central Bank of Iran to its sanctions list in July, leading Tether to freeze $131 million worth of USDT. Last month, the United States expanded its restrictive measures against Iran to include digital assets, precious metals, maritime transport, and technology.
Since late February of this year, the U.S. and Iran have engaged in economic friction, drawing widespread attention to the nation’s $7.8 billion digital asset shadow economy. The network utilizes government-backed bitcoin mining operations and stablecoins to circumvent the American dollar.
As stated by the FT, currency exchange offices located in adjacent nations continue to serve as the primary pathway for companies to move capital back home.
Originally published at https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/09/09/iran-eases-currency-controls-to-let-traders-bring-earnings-home-in-crypto-ft.
