Iran's $7.8B crypto economy relies on Bitcoin mining, faces grid disruption risks

Iran's crypto economy is valued at $7.8 billion and relies on Bitcoin mining and stablecoins to evade sanctions, with the IRGC accounting for more than half of inbound value. Legalized mining operations use subsidized power to generate BTC for trade settlements, representing 25% of the global hash rate. Ongoing conflicts threaten the power grid, creating risks of mining disruptions that would affect BTC generation and settlement flows.