The analytical platform Arkham Intelligence has released a map of cryptocurrency wallets that it estimates are linked to the Central Bank of Iran. The study notes that two wallets on the TRON network were sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury (OFAC) as early as April 24, 2026. US authorities have linked these addresses not only to the Central Bank of Iran but also to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Hezbollah group.
This is reported by Finway
“The platform linked the sanctioned TRON addresses to the Central Bank of Iran.”
Arkham claims that the new interactive map allows researchers and law enforcement to track the movement of funds and related addresses on the blockchain, which can help in combating the circumvention of international sanctions.
Investigation into sanction circumvention through TRON and Tether
Arkham’s publication came after approximately $344 million in crypto assets linked to Iran were frozen. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized that this operation aims to limit Tehran’s ability to move and repatriate funds in violation of established sanctions.
Tether confirmed that it complied with the US authorities’ request to block assets, explaining this as “activities related to illegal actions.” However, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin did not directly mention Iran in its statement.
Arkham specialists emphasized that the publication of this map is part of a growing trend among crypto companies and analytical platforms to identify structures engaged in sanction circumvention.
Increase in cryptocurrency use in Iran and new schemes
Previously, Chainalysis experts uncovered a complex scheme for moving cryptocurrency linked to the sale of Iranian oil: assets passed through brokers, intermediary wallets, cross-chain bridges, and DeFi protocols before returning to addresses affiliated with Iranian entities.
Amid increasing sanctions pressure, cryptocurrency use in Iran is rising: according to estimates by TRM Labs and Chainalysis, transaction volume could reach $11.4 billion in 2024.
According to media reports, the largest Iranian cryptocurrency exchange, Nobitex, has ties to the inner circle of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The country’s authorities are reportedly considering the possibility of charging fees from vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz in cryptocurrency.
It is also noted that the US plans to spend $100 million on implementing artificial intelligence to search for Iranian mines in the Strait of Hormuz.