When Iran Was Attacked, Rp164 Billion in Crypto Flows Out of Local Exchanges

KOMPAS.com – Movements of crypto assets from Iran were reported to have surged sharply after United States and Israel military strikes against several targets in the country in late February 2026. Blockchain analytics firm data showed crypto assets worth about USD 10.3 million (around Rp164.8 billion) exiting several Iranian crypto exchanges within just a few days of the strikes. The spike occurred between 28 February and 2 March 2026, according to a report by blockchain research firm Chainalysis. Crypto transaction activity surged just a few hours after the military operations began. Blockchain researchers from Elliptic also noted a similar spike on Nobitex, one of Iran’s largest crypto exchanges. The outflow volume from the platform reached USD 2.89 million (around Rp32 billion) in one hour, about eight times higher than the peak of the previous day. In several cases, residents moved their assets from exchanges to private wallets or overseas exchanges as a safeguard against political or economic instability. Blockchain tracking data show that parts of the funds were sent to international crypto exchanges or private crypto wallets, allowing owners to move funds across borders without going through traditional banking systems.