In 2025, Iranians invested $7.78 billion in cryptocurrencies amid the devaluation of the national currency, the rial. Rising inflation and the fall of the rial triggered not only mass protests but also a surge in the popularity of digital assets. Toward the end of last year, when the crisis reached its peak, both the number and the total value of cryptocurrency transactions carried out by Iranians increased significantly.

According to a report by Chainalysis, Iran’s cryptocurrency ecosystem reached $7.78 billion in 2025, with transaction activity rising sharply toward the end of the year. Mass protests in Iran began on December 28 and are still ongoing. The demonstrations were triggered by worsening economic conditions and a record collapse of the Iranian rial against the U.S. dollar.