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

When people talk about an Iranian crypto exchange, a platform where users in Iran buy, sell, or trade cryptocurrencies despite government restrictions. Also known as local crypto trading platforms in Iran, these services operate in a legal gray zone—neither fully banned nor officially approved. While Iran’s central bank doesn’t recognize crypto as legal tender, millions of Iranians still use it to protect savings from inflation and bypass Western financial sanctions.

Most Iranians don’t trade on global exchanges like Binance or Kraken. Instead, they use peer-to-peer platforms like P2P marketplaces, online systems that connect buyers and sellers directly without a central intermediary. Also known as local crypto trading networks, these allow users to trade Bitcoin and USDT using Iranian rials through bank transfers, mobile wallets, or even cash meetups. The most popular local platforms include Nobitex, Iran’s largest domestic crypto exchange with over a million users. Also known as Iranian crypto trading hub, it supports Rial deposits, has a simple interface, and lets users trade Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT directly. Other names like Sarft, a smaller but reliable peer-to-peer crypto service used by Iranian traders. Also known as Iranian crypto wallet platform, it’s often chosen for its low fees and quick Rial withdrawals. These aren’t just apps—they’re lifelines for people trying to keep value when the rial drops by 50% in a year.

But there’s a catch. The Iranian government doesn’t shut these platforms down outright, but it regularly pressures banks to block payments to them. Users get locked out. Accounts get frozen. Some traders have been arrested for using crypto to send money abroad. That’s why most people avoid leaving funds on exchanges—they withdraw to personal wallets immediately. And if you’re thinking of using a VPN to access Binance or Coinbase? Don’t. Iranian authorities can detect that, and it raises red flags faster than you think.

What you’ll find below are real stories and breakdowns of crypto platforms used in Iran, what’s safe, what’s risky, and how people actually get around the system. No theory. No guesswork. Just what’s happening on the ground—in Iran, right now.