Iran keeps avoiding bankruptcy thanks to gold, dollars, and USDT
Last Updated on 21 July 2026 by CryptoTips.eu
Now that the World Cup is over, we must once again turn our attention to the global economy. The news remains dominated by the conflict between Iran and the United States. The government in Tehran is grappling with massive inflation of around 70% but appears able to stave off bankruptcy thanks to a very large shadow economy that, as it turns out, survives on gold, dollars and significant amounts of cryptocurrency.
Statistic
According to the Iranian statistics bureau, inflation reached a record high of 68.1% in February 2026, meaning food prices rose by 105% year-on-year. The cost of bread and grain products surged by 142%, while the price of cooking oil rose by 207%. Analysts believe that current inflation is already well above 75%.
However, Iranians did not wait for American attacks to find creative solutions to this problem. From physical dollars to USDT, a veritable shadow economy has emerged in recent years, based on hoarded gold coins and keeping discreet crypto wallets so that Iranian rials are immediately converted into stablecoins.
This might have been expected of the Iranian population, who have to make do with around a hundred dollars a month, but what about the Central Bank of Iran? It turned out that the bank had also converted hundreds of millions of dollars into USDT, a move that violates international sanctions against the country.
Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin, is therefore closely monitoring the situation. Back in April 2026, the company, in cooperation with US authorities, froze some $344 million worth of USDT in wallets linked to the CBI. According to the latest estimates, the Central Bank of Iran still holds around a billion dollars in USDT that it is attempting to exchange through various means.
