Iran and Crypto: A Short Cut Might Not Be Working
November 6, 2025
One factor about cryptocurrency mining (and AI) that is glossed over by news outlets is the amount of energy required to keep the servers running. In short, it’s a lot! The Cool Down reports how one Middle Eastern country is dealing with a cryptocurrency crisis: “Stunning Report Reveals Government-Linked Crypto Crisis: ‘Serious And Unimaginable’”.
What is very interesting (and not surprising) about the crypto-currency mining is who is doing it: the Iranian government. Iran is dealing with an energy crisis and the citizens are dismayed. Lakes are drying up and there are abundant power outages. Iran is dealing with one of the worst droughts in its modern history.
Iran’s people have protested, but it’s like pushing a boulder up hill: no one is listening. Iran is home to a large saltwater lake, Lake Urmia, and it has transformed into a marsh.
Here’s what one expert said:
“An Iranian engineer cited by The Observer alleged that cryptocurrency mining by the state is consuming up to 5% of electricity, contributing to water and power depletion. "We are in a serious and unimaginable crisis," Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian said as he urged action during a recent cabinet meeting.”
The Iranian government has temporarily closed offices and is rationing resources, but it likely won’t be enough to curb power demanded by the crypto mining.
Iran could demolish its authoritarian and fundamentalist religious government, invest in a mixed economy, liberate women, and invest in education and technology to prepare for a better future. That likely won’t happen.
Whitney Grace, November 6, 2025
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