Iranian Crypto Exchange: What You Need to Know About Trading Crypto in Iran

When people talk about an Iranian crypto exchange, a cryptocurrency trading platform used primarily by users in Iran to buy, sell, or hold digital assets despite financial sanctions. Also known as local crypto platforms, it’s not just about technology—it’s about survival in a financial system under pressure. Iran has one of the highest rates of crypto adoption in the world, not because it’s trendy, but because the Iranian rial has lost over 90% of its value against the dollar since 2018. People turn to Bitcoin, Ethereum, and stablecoins like USDT to protect their savings, pay for imports, or send money abroad when traditional banking is blocked.

There’s no official government-approved crypto exchange in Iran, but dozens of peer-to-peer platforms and local marketplaces fill the gap. Users rely on crypto wallets, digital tools that store private keys and let users control their own funds without intermediaries. Also known as self-custody wallets, these are essential for anyone trading crypto in Iran—because if you don’t hold your keys, you don’t hold your money. Platforms like Wallex and P2P Iran operate in the gray zone, letting users trade with local bank transfers or mobile payment apps. But here’s the catch: these aren’t regulated. If a platform disappears, your funds vanish with it. That’s why most experienced users avoid keeping large amounts on exchanges and use hardware wallets or paper backups instead.

And then there’s the tax and legal side. Iran doesn’t ban crypto—it just doesn’t recognize it as legal tender. The government taxes crypto gains at 30%, and the Central Bank monitors transactions through banks. Many traders use cash-based P2P deals or trade through intermediaries to stay under the radar. But with global reporting rules like DAC8 coming into effect in 2026, hiding crypto activity is getting harder. Even if you’re trading locally, your transactions could eventually show up on a tax authority’s radar.

What you’ll find below isn’t a list of the "best" Iranian crypto exchanges. That’s impossible—most don’t even exist as official companies. Instead, you’ll see real stories: how people claimed airdrops while avoiding scams, how they secured their seed phrases after losing access to a local platform, and what happened when a popular exchange suddenly shut down. These aren’t theoretical guides. They’re lessons from people who’ve been there—trying to trade smart in a country where the rules change overnight.