Crypto Exchanges

Story: Iran’s Biggest Crypto Exchange Nobitex Dodges U.S. Sanctions as Tehran Cuts Internet

By Bruce Buterin

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Military Strike Triggers Blackout. The internet went dark across Iran on the last night of February 2026. A joint U.S.

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Whitelist Access Kept Exchange Alive. Tehran's decision to restrict internet access hit businesses hard.

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Sanctions Compliance Keeps Platform Operating. Staying off the OFAC blacklist takes constant work. The exchange monitors every transaction…

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Nobitex kept trading. That's the headline.

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Iran's biggest cryptocurrency exchange stayed operational through an internet blackout that left most of the country offline.

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The internet went dark across Iran on the last night of February 2026. A joint U.S.-Israel military strike triggered the shutdown, and Tehran responded by severing most…

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Nobitex somehow stayed functional. The exchange kept its services running even as the country's digital infrastructure collapsed around it.

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The compliance piece matters here. Nobitex runs tight monitoring on transactions to make sure nothing violates U.S. sanctions. That's how it stays off OFAC's radar.

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Tehran's decision to restrict internet access hit businesses hard. Most companies that rely on global connectivity faced immediate problems.

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The geopolitical situation in Iran adds layers of complexity that most exchanges never deal with. International sanctions loom over every transaction.

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No one from Nobitex commented publicly about future strategies. The exchange didn't issue statements about how long it expects the internet restrictions to last or what…

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The lack of transparency creates problems for users. Traders on Nobitex probably don't know if their access will remain stable or if the government might tighten restrictions…

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Read also: Treasury Freezes Iraqi Oil Officials Assets as DOJ Probes $2.6 Billion Iran Trades

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Trading volumes probably took a hit. With most Iranians cut off from the internet, only whitelisted users could access Nobitex during the blackout.

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Staying off the OFAC blacklist takes constant work. The exchange monitors every transaction against U.S. sanctions lists, flagging anything that looks suspicious.

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