# Iran Loosens Currency Controls and Routes Trade Through Tether and Bitcoin, Financial Times Reports

The shift treats digital assets as working payment infrastructure under sanctions, weeks after Tether froze about $131 million in wallets the United States linked to Iran's central bank.

- Published: 2026-09-09T05:46:55.977Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/crypto/2026-09-09/iran-loosens-currency-controls-and-routes-trade-through-teth
- Publisher: Polylog (Crypto desk)
- Section: geopolitics
- Sources: [Polylog editors](https://polylog.news), [CryptoSlate](https://cryptoslate.com/why-bitcoin-bulls-shouldnt-mistake-a-shrinking-dollar-reserve-share-for-central-bank-buying/)

Iran has relaxed currency controls and is relying on cryptocurrency, including Tether's USDT and bitcoin, to keep trade and payments moving under United States sanctions and a naval blockade, according to a Financial Times report circulated…

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