The Nobitex dilemma: How Iran's biggest crypto exchange stays off the OFAC blacklist
60-second summary
Iran's biggest crypto exchange, Nobitex, remains off the OFAC blacklist despite a near-total internet shutdown. The country severed its global internet connection in the wake of a US-Israeli joint strike, leaving only government-whitelisted users with access.
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.