Iran has leveraged crypto assets to circumvent international sanctions. In this respect, Iran has moved a massive $1B in capital via crypto exchanges operating under the U.K. jurisdiction. As per the data from Coin Bureau, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) of Iran has routed the respective funds in the form of digital assets, bypassing the rising global restrictions. This development has triggered caution while also underscoring a shift from lonely transfers to a relatively organized financial mechanism on blockchain ecosystems.
Iran’s IRGC Evades International Sanctions via Crypto to Shift $1B via UK Exchanges
Based on the reports, Iran’s shift of $1B in crypto indicates the wider shift of sanctioned entities toward the robust crypto infrastructure. Specifically, Iran’s IRGC-linked platforms extensively leveraged Zedxion and Zedcex, which are UK-registered crypto exchanges, between the years 2023 and 2025. These two companies carry out the same activity under diverse branding, performing large-scale capital movements. Particularly, the IRGC-related transfers denoted 56% of the cumulative trading volume of the exchanges during the respective period.
The data also discloses that the IRGC-related firms carried out most of the transactions via the $USDT stablecoin of Tether. Over time, the activity’s scale broadened to a considerable extent, rising from $24M to $619M from during the 2023-2024 range. Subsequently, in 2025, the respective scale hit the stunning $410M.
Alternative Crypto Usage Poses Challenges to Cross-Jurisdiction Sanction Enforcement
According to Coin Bureau, this growth in Iran’s crypto activity points towards a strategic shift when it comes to sanction evasion. Such developments have increased the concerns regarding the misuse of crypto assets in worldwide security contexts. Adding to this, the analysts say that, irrespective of Iran’s internet shutdown, they might be using crypto via alternative tech, including mesh and satellite. As a result, this is a renewed call for more stringent crypto oversight across jurisdictions.
