Can Bitcoin help the opposition in Iran?

[suzanne5223]

I don't understand how Starlink internet work. So I don't know if it is still possible to smuggle or if there's any chance to use Starlink in Iran since the internet was not officially available in Iran.
I also read that their government is doing alot of activities like jamming GPS signals and Starlink frequencies like raiding homes/rooftops to seize Starlink dishes with penalty up to 2 years in prison.

The ongoing protest could change force control, and others unfair punishment giving to Iranian citizens while Bitcoin still stands as an investment option there. Besides, before the issue escalated I heard the number of Bitcoin holders from there  increased.

The situation is a risk that may cause the loss of lives if found holding Bitcoin by the government. Even the mesh network that allows people to use a sim to connect to their wallet and have a bit of internet access may be a scam by the government to catch and trap all those found wanting.
We can't even begin to talk about star links that is being jammed by the government and other possible ways to have access to the Internet may be considered a crime if found.
There may be other smarter ways to have access to ones Bitcoin savings wallet without the government knowing, but in war, no one is trustworthy and even friends can act as spy and this complicates the whole scenario I must say.

Based on what i know about the Iranian stance towards Bitcoin last year. Despite the harsh rules and regulations of the Iranian government, holding Bitcoin ^{(the same thing goes for its mining)} cant lead to loss of life for anyone since Bitcoin is not illegal there, but strictly licensed.
If you remember, last year, Iran's largest cryptocurrency exchange (Nobitex) was hacked by Israel due to a conflict.
Having said that, the Iranians who are caught using the banned internet, like Starlink, may face severe punishment.

[Hispo]

I personally like the idea of using short wage radio to send Bitcoin transactions to the Blockchain in a country as repressive as Iran. Though, I am not even sure if something like that has been applied in the past and to what extent is doable.
Whatever the case, it seems to me that the rebellion in Iran could be considered as a example on how the government could effectively restrict people from using Bitcoin in the case they decide to completely shut down internet in the country, of course, something like that is very unlikely to happen in a western democracy like the United States and within the Eropean Union, but the possibility is always there.

[Lucius]

~snip~
Whatever the case, it seems to me that the rebellion in Iran could be considered as a example on how the government could effectively restrict people from using Bitcoin in the case they decide to completely shut down internet in the country, of course, something like that is very unlikely to happen in a western democracy like the United States and within the Eropean Union, but the possibility is always there.

Those democracies you mention are not exactly the way people who are far from them imagine them - because look at what's happening in the US where they arrest people on the streets because of their appearance, accent or simply because someone doesn't like them. I don't see that it is impossible to resort to such measures in these democracies in the event that the authorities feel seriously threatened.

Even when the UK was in the EU, I watched a documentary in which the methods of terrorizing their residents were shown in such a way that they would park a vehicle with special cameras that would then record people passing by and then analyze them with the help of AI, and those that the computer would mark would be immediately stopped and checked.

Of course, AI did a terrible job and most people were innocent, but that just shows that the authorities are not afraid to do anything and that human rights are actually an illusion.

[stompix]

Could Bitcoiners help the Iranian opposition to receive donations in Bitcoin and use cryptocurrency to transact? Some possible strategies:
- Smuggle satellite communication equipment into Iran, for example for Starlink (Can even be a profitable business, although it shouldn't be too expensive.)

Both Russia and the US have devices that can track and pinpoint a terminal from 10-25 km, you just need a Ka/Ku band instead of the lower frequencies used for AA radars, and that's it, all you need more is the artillery to nullify it in one shot! Also those are mobiles, so multiply the range by a vehicle driving at 90kmh and good luck!

- Provide strong wireless internet signal from neighboring countries at the country's borders (e.g. at the border to Turkey). Idem, could even be profitable.

This border, lol:


Again, broadcast a signal, and there is 155mmm headign fro you!

- Help to build up mesh networks, which can share the Internet and also Bitcoin networking. This could be a "safety net" if the government tries to shut down the Internet again.

Mesh networks still need connections to the internet, problem from points 1 and 2 still not solved!

- Introduce equipment to receive and broadcast Bitcoin blocks and transactions over alternative means like shortwave radio. This should however only be used for emergencies.

Jammers are also easy to pick up!

- Software tools to hide the reception of Bitcoin or other "subversive" communication, to avoid to get catched by the police.
- Share strategies to hide communication equipment.

Irrelevant as points 1 2 and 3 still stand!

And as far as I know, one of our bitcointalk reputated member is from Iran pooya87, and I checked his profile, and according to his profile details, his last seen on the forum was 8 Jan 2026. I hope he is doing well.

Oh, I'm sure he's doing fine, he is probably out beating protesters as he has always kissed the ass of the Ayatollah , the basij and the IRGC terrorists, calling everyone who criticizes them a zionist or other thing.
He probably has found a second job working for Iran's propaganda machine!

[AmoreJaz]

I personally like the idea of using short wage radio to send Bitcoin transactions to the Blockchain in a country as repressive as Iran. Though, I am not even sure if something like that has been applied in the past and to what extent is doable.
Whatever the case, it seems to me that the rebellion in Iran could be considered as a example on how the government could effectively restrict people from using Bitcoin in the case they decide to completely shut down internet in the country, of course, something like that is very unlikely to happen in a western democracy like the United States and within the Eropean Union, but the possibility is always there.

Let us put it this way, Iran has indeed deviate their protocols from the norms. Their way of life is quite restricted and it is like their citizens are being oppressed. A different approach is inevitable in this country as they have quite unique way of governing people.
But for people who will utilize the use of crypto esp btc, they still need to be very cautious on how they transact as the government can easily track the movement of its people if they have the upperhand about the networks available in their country. I don't know if there is like third party not related to the government offering internet service over this country. Because if it is solely managed by the government, would be very challenging for the opposition to transact with btc.

[DeeppRockk]

I personally like the idea of using short wage radio to send Bitcoin transactions to the Blockchain in a country as repressive as Iran. Though, I am not even sure if something like that has been applied in the past and to what extent is doable.
Whatever the case, it seems to me that the rebellion in Iran could be considered as a example on how the government could effectively restrict people from using Bitcoin in the case they decide to completely shut down internet in the country, of course, something like that is very unlikely to happen in a western democracy like the United States and within the Eropean Union, but the possibility is always there.

Let us put it this way, Iran has indeed deviate their protocols from the norms. Their way of life is quite restricted and it is like their citizens are being oppressed. A different approach is inevitable in this country as they have quite unique way of governing people.

Bitcoin's censorship resistance could help people in Iran bypass state controls in theory. But here's the catch: internet restrictions make accessing crypto tough. Even if someone gets bitcoin quietly, spending it without leaving traces is another headache. Peer-to-peer meetups? They're a risk magnet. Plus, volatility messes with stability when survival's on the line. 

The real snag is execution. Discreetly trading crypto under tight surveillance isn't easy. Physical meetups invite attention, and even if you dodge that, sudden price swings could wipe out savings. It's not impossible, but the hurdles are steep-especially when basic stability matters most. 

People need tools that work reliably under pressure. Bitcoin's potential is there, but the gap between theory and practice is wide. Practical barriers often overshadow the tech's promise in these scenarios.

[Furball808]

The west isn't for genuine revolutions ever or anywhere.

The sanctions imposed on Iran means that you and I could be landed in jail or at best have our bank accounts closed if we send money to Iranian institutions or individuals. And for Iranians to buy crypto they would need access to institutions willing to take their cash in exchange for crypto. But anyone in the west is barred from accepting Iranian currency.

So once again, the sanctions harm the people.

Use a very discreet wallet address, one with no previous transactions. It can be sent to even just one person in Iran who uses bitcoin too. This is exactly what bitcoin was built for. Meant to be used for p2p transactions without any third parties and in which supply is fixed unlike fiat where it can collapse anytime. The state can still block off bitcoin but
it may be possible.
Prayers to our Iranian friends.

[ThemePen]

At beginning of 2026, human crisis in Iran is nearing breaking point, with reports guessing number of people dead to be as many as 20,000 and over 330,000 injured since late December 2025. In order to make sure that world does not see this, government began complete internet block on January 8, yet Bitcoin has begun to save many as local money dropped to more than 1.1 million per USD.

Although government itself is also hiding its own funds on crypto under cover of hiding its own money, protesters are fighting digital iron curtain with guessed 100,000 handheld Starlink boxes brought in secretly and hidden as regular objects and with Bluetooth group networks like Bitchat which has more than 1.4 million downloads to send payment data offline.

I think technology, such as satellite internet and radio-based Bitcoin sending through Darkwire, are clever, but such game is very dangerous, as cat and mouse, since drones and electronic sensors are now used by government to find these signals. So, most effective way of helping other side is not just sending money, but getting offline first devices such as solar powered offline wallets and group radios so that their talks would not be noticed by government.

[Darker45]

If it's general funding to the top opposition leaders especially coming from outside the country, or perhaps even from the top leaders to the sub-leaders, yeah, Bitcoin greatly helps. The problem comes with its actual consumption on the ground. Especially with the outage of the internet, it's cold cash that would mobilize people, bring food to their families' table, provide ground logistics for whatever movements, and so on. So, I think the biggest problem is how to make Bitcoin funding effective on the ground.

[Achalugo BTC]

Bitcoin certainly has the power to help, whether it is in the opposition or not, and it can help anyone. Since the situation in Iran is very dire right now because many people have been killed in this war, I heard in the media. Now they are deprived of the internet, but their national currency has been destroyed a lot due to this war in Iran. But it is definitely most important for Iran to get back online at this time.

Very right, Iran's situation is bad as the economy are struggling, which are affecting the people there in one way or the other, especially the internet shutdown just as you have said earlier but these can be adjusted by the use of Bitcoin, because Bitcoin is the only thing that can help people in time of war like this, that is why they use do all what it takes to restore crypto access, because it will help them to be able to do transactions.

[8rch7]

Bitcoin can help for crisis moment for human exactly to help the opposition in Iran after their local currency values drop drastically, bitcoin make stable and few correction is normally before returning back to the higher price but for local currency its difficult will back to normal values after previously happening for Zimbabwe their local currency not valuable yet.

During the conflict with United State still not end yet I think for Iran's citizen must have option for saving money in bitcoin and most helpful in the future preparing possibility get inflation the local currency values. Nowadays can't predictable with United State government decision before attacking Iran better prepare all and anticipation if the local currency have downtrend values.

[SquirrelJulietGarden]

Bitcoin can help for crisis moment for human exactly to help the opposition in Iran after their local currency values drop drastically, bitcoin make stable and few correction is normally before returning back to the higher price but for local currency its difficult will back to normal values after previously happening for Zimbabwe their local currency not valuable yet.

During the conflict with United State still not end yet I think for Iran's citizen must have option for saving money in bitcoin and most helpful in the future preparing possibility get inflation the local currency values. Nowadays can't predictable with United State government decision before attacking Iran better prepare all and anticipation if the local currency have downtrend values.

Bitcoin only can help for people in Iran if there are entities there which can do their operational jobs. I see it's risky for people do to these things in Iran now after their nation escalates very quickly since January 2026. Bitcoin can play its role and help these local people like how people globally donated bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies to help Ukrainians.

In Iran, I think only very massive political change can help their nation escaping from the cirsis and improve economy and living conditions for their locals. Bitcoin is not able to bring any magic there and change everything in Iran, it's unrealistic task for Bitcoin.

[Cleanslate_]

It is a good ideas but difficult and dangerous, before one can be successful in doing this you must have an insider that will help and back you up with these plan to be successful because the Iran government must have set up security personnel at various strategic location in the country to proper monitor the inflow and out flow of anything in the country mainly using various online technologies that will  help them with informations so that they will not be caught up unaware by their enemies.

I believe they have a purpose of disconnecting their internet and other online facilities to avoid being caught up in the web.

[Itz-prisigold]

The Iranian protests are brutally supressed by the regime's troops and allied militias. NGOs speak of over 12,000 deaths and even this number could be too low.

As there are well known actors in the Iranian civil society, Bitcoin could be used to support them, bypassing the (probably tightly controlled / censored) banking system.

If this support is strong enough, perhaps the opposition can win - first enabling the purchase of good communication equipment, but also because in poor countries, everybody can be bribed and bought. And the currency in Iran plummeted down to minuscule values, probably making Bitcoin (and other crypto, e.g. USDT) payments highly valuable in the country.

However, there's a problem: The internet has been shut down in Iran.

Could Bitcoiners help the Iranian opposition to receive donations in Bitcoin and use cryptocurrency to transact? Some possible strategies:

- Smuggle satellite communication equipment into Iran, for example for Starlink (Can even be a profitable business, although it shouldn't be too expensive.)
- Provide strong wireless internet signal from neighboring countries at the country's borders (e.g. at the border to Turkey). Idem, could even be profitable.
- Help to build up mesh networks, which can share the Internet and also Bitcoin networking. This could be a "safety net" if the government tries to shut down the Internet again.
- Introduce equipment to receive and broadcast Bitcoin blocks and transactions over alternative means like shortwave radio. This should however only be used for emergencies.
- Software tools to hide the reception of Bitcoin or other "subversive" communication, to avoid to get catched by the police.
- Share strategies to hide communication equipment.

Here in an Internet forum most of us are of course amateurs in these "serious" topics, but it would be interesting to know what ideas are possible.

I think Bitcoin won’t be a big revolution. I believe it will represent the small way people can hold on to their control in a world where their every move is tracked.  People will appreciate the ability to store their money outside a collapsing currency,  or get money from family abroad without going through the banks.  These things will give people some control.

However,  the internet shutdown shows Bitcoin's limits, Bitcoin is not some kind of magic tool, so without internet access, Bitcoin is almost useless since it is designed to be used with the internet. In the absence of the internet, the focus should be on resilience, simple tools, basic knowledge and ways people can use it safely whenever small windows of access appear.

People there are risking a lot, and we shouldn't romanticize the risks, so any ideas of Bitcoin in this context should be low-key, safe and practical,  not dramatic or smart. Bitcoin can help,  but only in ways that will not put people at more risk.

[coinlary]

How possible is it to use SMS for Bitcoin transaction broadcasting in case of an internet outage? Are there any existing projects for that? On second thought, I'm not sure anything will work with signal jamming.

I believe they have a purpose of disconnecting their internet and other online facilities to avoid being caught up in the web.

Caught up doing what  what's  exactly is your point ?
What good purpose do they have for disconnection of internet in a country where there's  human right??

[Alonso_]

I really don’t think bitcoin can do much for the Iranian people, and I still don’t understand how bitcoin would be able to help their economy, considering how things have been in the country let’s not forget that Iran’s have currently been disabled from using the internet, and there is a huge blockout in the country which is why I’m wondering how bitcoin would be of help, now we all know how bad and terrible the economy in the country have been, because of the tariff that Donald Trump have created in the country, well now that we have a situation where bitcoin is in a meltdown and bitcoin keeps going down, maybe those of them that have money or a discretionary money can actually invest in bitcoin and hopefully they can have a good reasonable amount of Bitcoin.

[Jobbe]

yeah. the conversation keeps revolving around how to get Bitcoin into Iran. bit we are missing the tougher question here. what can Iranians do with Bitcoin if it was made available to them?

setting up networks or smuggling Star Link dishes can only solve problems concerning connectivity. but Bitcoin can only help if converted to good use: like medicines, equipments, bribes e t.c..and that's where things can go wrong.
so receiving Bitcoin isn't the issue..but rather, spending it. and with such a country as that, which normally experiences internet blackouts..

* there has to be someone who's willing to accept Bitcoin as an exchange for goods.

* there will be trust issues. because you can't be really sure of the person you're dealing with. because it's an hostile environment.

due to research, Iran already had crypto adoption before the protest. and as of last year, it was $7.8 billion in activity. but the Internet was still working and people made use of exchanges. so talking about transactions in an environment where you can't trust anyone sounds a little bit off to me.

the strength of Bitcoin is..it can't be blocked or frozen by banks. but based on this scenario, it still needs an infrastructure to function. either trusted human networks or a good Internet connection. the
 Iranians know this. which is why they are raiding every home for Star Link equipment ( with a 2- year prison sentence handed out. if any is found).

yes, Bitcoin can actually help out. but at same time, Bitcoin isn't magic. it's technology. so the opposition actually needs both human trust networks and technology to function properly. and right now, they're still struggling for both.

[Razmirraz]

In a critical situation like this, Bitcoin can still be relied upon to support the opposition in Iran. If everything goes smoothly, such as gaining strong support from Bitcoin users, perhaps the opposition can strengthen its position by purchasing good communications equipment. Smuggling satellite communications equipment into Iran such as Starlink is one of the easiest options. To connect to the internet, Starlink only requires electricity, so as long as it is available, they can access it easily.
Bitcoin users can make donations through secure and uncensorable Bitcoin addresses such as using Mixer to hide the identity of the donor. As long as they have the will and creativity to work together, there is always a way to help the Iranian opposition receive donations by conducting transactions safely.

[Spaceman1000$]

The ideas you gave are good, but if the internet service are shared around the borders, then it will be impossible for a lot of persons to get connected to it, because majority of the citizens stay within the Towns, except you want it to be shared among few persons.

 However if you succeed in providing communication gadgets, what are the assurances that saboteurs within your circle of friends that might sell some of this informations about the new development to the government won't be there, because within opposition members, there are government loyalist you wouldn't know. So it's a necessary risk to take but with strick caution among just few trusted persons, before expanding it to the general public.

[laspol65]

In a critical situation like this, Bitcoin can still be relied upon to support the opposition in Iran. If everything goes smoothly, such as gaining strong support from Bitcoin users, perhaps the opposition can strengthen its position by purchasing good communications equipment. Smuggling satellite communications equipment into Iran such as Starlink is one of the easiest options. To connect to the internet, Starlink only requires electricity, so as long as it is available, they can access it easily.
Bitcoin users can make donations through secure and uncensorable Bitcoin addresses such as using Mixer to hide the identity of the donor. As long as they have the will and creativity to work together, there is always a way to help the Iranian opposition receive donations by conducting transactions safely.

Source and Video link: https://x.com/i/status/2011410265745854736

They have tried hard and made no mistakes, secretly only Bitcoin can help. But it requires internet connection, in the current situation due to the weak economic situation of Iran, only Bitcoin can play the maximum role, but here the seized equipment is detained. If someone makes a transaction, then this seized person will be the real owner of the transaction, so we have to find another way.