Iran’s government cut off internet access on Thursday amid widespread protests over economic struggles and a plunging rial.
With millions of Iranians already turning to cryptocurrency, the shutdown raises urgent questions: How can people continue to use crypto when the web is gone?
Millions of Iranians Already in Crypto
Estimates suggest roughly seven million Iranians out of a population of 92 million are actively using cryptocurrency, according to Statista.
TRM Labs tracked around $3.7 billion in crypto transactions in Iran between January and July 2025, showing the significant role digital assets play in the country’s economy.
Some experts, like Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley, have even suggested Bitcoin could serve as a store of wealth for citizens during times of financial instability, given the rial’s record lows against the U.S. dollar.
But without internet access, traditional crypto transactions face serious hurdles.
Satellite Internet Offers a Potential Lifeline
One possible workaround is Elon Musk’s Starlink.
The satellite internet system can bring high-speed connectivity to areas with little or no existing service.
Earlier in June 2025, Starlink helped restore internet in Iran during a previous blackout, and unconfirmed reports suggest Musk may have quietly approved a similar solution this time.
Unlike Starlink, Bitcoin infrastructure company Blockstream uses satellites to broadcast Bitcoin data worldwide.
This allows users to receive blockchain updates and transaction information even without conventional internet, though broadcasting a transaction is not enough—it still requires an internet-connected device at some point to finalize it on-chain.
Peer-to-Peer Messaging and Bluetooth Networks
Some Iranians are exploring decentralized solutions like Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat, a peer-to-peer messaging platform that uses Bluetooth mesh networks to transmit Bitcoin transaction data between phones.
While this method can pass transaction information locally, it cannot confirm transactions on the blockchain without eventually connecting to the internet.
Bitchat’s popularity has surged, with over 1.4 million downloads since launch and nearly 20,000 new users just in the last day, demonstrating how creative workarounds are gaining traction.
Innovative Offline Crypto Tools
Other projects are in development to help users transact offline.
Darkwire, for example, uses long-range radio to form a decentralized mesh network capable of sending Bitcoin transactions without conventional internet.
Its creator, known as Cyb3r17, launched it in May 2025, though the tool is still undergoing major updates on GitHub.
Earlier efforts include Machankura, a 2022 project by South African developer Kgothatso Ngako, which lets users send and receive Bitcoin using mobile networks instead of the internet.
While innovative, all these tools still eventually rely on one internet-connected device to confirm transactions on the blockchain.
The Bigger Picture for Blockchain Decentralization
Iran’s internet blackout highlights the appeal of decentralized and offline crypto solutions.
Experts point to similar scenarios in countries like Afghanistan as wake-up calls, showing that as governments restrict connectivity, the ability to transact without traditional infrastructure could become critical for millions of people worldwide.
Even in the face of government shutdowns, these emerging technologies offer hope for Iranians to continue using crypto, though the solutions remain experimental and partially dependent on eventual internet access.
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