Iran BRICS crypto trade ambitions are accelerating as the government pushes digital currencies to bypass sanctions and strengthen regional economic ties. sanctions. Senior Iranian officials and influential businessmen have indicated that cryptocurrencies are an important financial lifeline for Tehran at a time when most traditional payment channels are blocked.
Iran Crypto Sanctions Drive Push for BRICS Trade Alternatives
In August 2025, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany triggered the “snapback mechanism,” reinstating U.N. sanctions on Iran. They cited concerns regarding the enrichment of uranium by Iran and limited access for inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The United States has implemented various sanctions against Iran since 1979. Iran’s exclusion from the SWIFT global payment network is one of the major consequences of these sanctions. Given these restrictions, Iran has difficulties settling trade payments through conventional banking networks.https://www.bis.org/cpmi/index.htm
Tehran Promotes Crypto as a Strategic Necessity
As part of Iran’s first government-backed blockchain conference, the deBlock Summit, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf emphasized the strategic necessity of digital currencies. “Cryptocurrencies provide new ways to do business and pay for trade,” he said. He asserted that digital tools are especially useful for nations trying to achieve financial independence.
Ghalibaf emphasized that Iran seeks to serve as a regional and global center for blockchain technology, and is working with the government on the technical framework to incorporate cryptocurrencies into foreign trade.
He also called upon academics, researchers, and the business sector to partner with Parliament. “We want to see an influx of investment in digital currencies,” he stated.
BRICS Digital Trade Vision and Iran’s De-Dollarisation Strategy
“This democratizes finance,” said Pooria Asteraky, chairman of the deBlock Summit. “Cryptocurrencies are a potential solution to reduce reliance on the US dollar and to disrupt global financial centralization.”
He continued, “BRICS countries want to remove dollar hegemony, and it may be possible using cryptocurrencies.”
Trump issued a warning to BRICS countries – if they continue to explore the possibility of creating an alternative currency, the US would impose tariffs.
India, however, has distanced itself from the de-dollarisation agenda, with the Ministry of External Affairs releasing a statement in August 2025 stating that such moves “are not part of India’s financial calculus.”
Regulatory Barriers Slowing Iran’s Crypto Ambitions
While the government has been optimistic, leaders in the private sector say Iran’s regulatory environment is still opaque and constraining.
Ehsan Mehdizadeh, CEO of Wallex Iran, condemned the darkness of the environment and pointed out that Iran could take part in trade driven by crypto requirements while retaining a tight structure of restrictions domestically.
He stated that crypto could only help to mitigate Iran’s SWIFT isolation to an extent, as the restrictive regulatory environment still fails to create the gradient of transparency needed to move forward.
Regulatory Roadblocks Hindering Iran BRICS Crypto Trade
The Central Bank of Iran oversees the crypto marketplace in Iran and has a firm grip on heavy controls, including but not limited to blocking gateways that allow the conversion of Iranian Rial into digital currencies.
Mining for crypto still remains legal, but there’s an uneasy debate amongst policymakers about how to handle and manage such a heavy electricity demand for economic reasons in raw tariff costs.
Shamseddin Hosseini, head of Parliament’s Economic Committee, said, “Should miners get subsidised limits?” Adding that the government “should consider the economic risks and benefits of expanding crypto if the state of the environment were to improve.”
How Blockchain Fits Into Iran’s BRICS Trade Aspirations
Ali Hakim Javadi, chairman of Iran’s Information Technology Organization, said that foreign investment requires overall trust.
He stated, “A smart contract that uses blockchain is not only sufficiently reliable, due to smart contracts being tamper-proof, but it would discourage conflict and would be a jump toward more reliable confidence to pursue business.”
“We are working on contracts that are transparent and dynamic,” Javadi said. “Blockchain can build trust in ways traditional systems cannot.”
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