The Nobitex dilemma: How Iran's biggest crypto exchange stays off the OFAC blacklist

Iran entered the final night of February 2026 under a near-total internet shutdown. In the wake of a joint strike by the United States and Israel, Tehran almost completely severed the country's connection to the global internet — likely leaving only users on a government whitelist with access to the outside world.

Iran’s internet formally remained part of global routing, but user activity fell almost to zero. That points to a managed restriction on citizens’ access to the external network. Source: IODA.

But in that digital darkness, one vital financial service continued to operate without interruption: Nobitex, a cryptocurrency exchange linked to Iran’s ruling elite.

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