0
0
News

Chainalysis Estimate Pegs Iran's Crypto Ecosystem at $7.8B Last Year

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps accounted for about half of all crypto inflows in Q4 2025.
0
0
Jan 16, 2026 • 1 min read

Crypto surveillance and analytics firm Chainalysis now estimates that Iran's crypto ecosystem topped more than $7.8 billion in 2025. Crypto activity related to the country also spiked around major domestic and geopolitical events.

What's the Scoop?

  • IRGC Involvement: Chainalysis estimates that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a branch of the Iranian armed forces and U.S.-designated terrorist organization, accounted for at least half of Iran's crypto activity in 2025, receiving a minimum of $3B in crypto last year.
  • Safe Harbor: Iran’s crypto activity remained correlated with domestic and geopolitical uncertainty, surging during the 12-day war in June 2025 as the Iranian <> Israeli tensions reached a boiling point. Chainalysis suggested the behavior was emblematic of, "a flight to safety amid currency collapse and political instability."
Inside Iran’s Growing $7.8 Billion Crypto Ecosystem
Iran’s crypto ecosystem reached over $7.78 billion in 2025, having grown at a faster pace for most of the year compared to the year prior.
ChainalysisChainalysis Team

Not financial or tax advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. This newsletter is not tax advice. Talk to your accountant. Do your own research.

Disclosure. From time-to-time I may add links in this newsletter to products I use. I may receive commission if you make a purchase through one of these links. Additionally, the Bankless writers hold crypto assets. See our investment disclosures here.

Published in Bankless

There’s a revolution in the world of money. Ethereum, Bitcoin, crypto, open finance, DeFi—a bankless revolution. And you want part of it.