fire

Guard

Bitcoin

Read

Spark

<div id="cn-block-summary-block_56968c1ba0e599c71477175874ba118d" class="cn-block-summary">
 <div class="cn-block-summary__nav tabs"><span>Summary</span>
 </div>
 <div class="cn-block-summary__content">
  <ul>
   <li>Iranian state-linked media reject claims Tehran is already collecting Strait of Hormuz tolls in Bitcoin or stablecoins.</li>
   <li>Maritime security firms warn of parallel scam emails demanding crypto “clearance” fees from stranded vessels.</li>
   <li>The controversy comes after Western media detailed Iranian plans to charge about $1 per barrel for oil transit, potentially worth tens of billions of dollars a year.</li>
  </ul>
 </div>
</div>
<p>Iranian media have dismissed reports that Tehran is currently collecting transit tolls for the Strait of Hormuz in cryptocurrency, underscoring the confusion surrounding a wartime payment regime that has rattled global shipping and crypto markets.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="tehran-moves-to-quash-crypto-toll-claims">Tehran moves to quash ‘crypto toll’ claims</h2>
<p>State-linked outlet Fars News said on Apr. 23 that “reports about Iran collecting tolls for the Strait of Hormuz in cryptocurrency are inaccurate,” countering weeks of speculation that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had already begun accepting Bitcoin or stablecoins from oil tankers during a fragile US-brokered ceasefire.</p>
<p>You might also like: <a href="https://crypto.news/spark-soars-73-as-upbit-listing-and-500m-staking-what-ignited-the-huge-rally/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"> Spark soars 73% as Upbit listing and 500M staking, what ignited the huge rally? </a></p>
<p>The denial follows detailed reporting from the Financial Times that Iran planned to demand that shipping companies pay transit fees in cryptocurrency for oil tankers passing through the narrow waterway, at an indicative rate of about $1 per barrel of crude.<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/02aefac4-ea62-48db-9326-c0da373b11b8?syn-25a6b1a6=1" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"></a></p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="scam-messages-and-market-fallout">Scam messages and market fallout</h2>
<p>Even as Tehran rejects the idea that crypto tolls are already live, a Greek maritime risk firm, MARISKS, warned that unknown actors have been sending fraudulent messages to shipowners stuck west of the Strait, “posing as Iranian authorities” and demanding payment in Bitcoin or Tether in exchange for “clearance” and safe passage.<a href="https://www.iranintl.com/en/202604215950" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"></a></p>
<p>“These specific messages are a scam,” MARISKS said, stressing the emails “did not originate from Iranian authorities” and may have contributed to at least one vessel coming under fire while attempting to leave the area.<a href="https://www.iranintl.com/en/202604215950" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"></a></p>
<p>The <a href="https://crypto.news/scammers-seek-crypto-payments-from-ships-stranded-near-strait-of-hormuz/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Strait of Hormuz</a> previously carried about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows, and proposals for a crypto-based toll system have drawn intense scrutiny from regulators and blockchain analysts.</p>
<p>Bloomberg reported that an <a href="https://crypto.news/irgc-news-iran-vows-action-after-us-ship-seizure/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">IRGC</a>-linked intermediary has discussed opening negotiations at roughly $1 per barrel, implying potential revenue of up to $2 million for a fully loaded supertanker and between $70 billion and $80 billion a year if traffic returns near pre-war levels.</p>
<p>Chainalysis noted that Iran has historically relied on dollar-pegged stablecoins such as USDT on Tron, arguing that any implemented Hormuz tolls would deepen Tehran’s pivot toward censorship-resistant rails while posing new compliance risks for virtual asset service providers.</p>
<p>Industry observers say the Fars News <a href="https://flash.jin10.com/detail/20260423224604871800" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">denial</a> leaves a narrow distinction: Iran appears keen to formalize tolls and experiment with yuan and crypto settlement, but claims it has not yet begun collecting those fees directly in digital assets, even as scammers and intermediaries race to fill the vacuum.</p>
<p>Read more: <a href="https://crypto.news/spain-seizes-e400k-in-crypto-hidden-in-wall-thermometer-in-manga-piracy-raid/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"> Spain seizes €400K in crypto hidden in wall thermometer in manga piracy raid </a></p>

Iran denies reports of crypto tolls in Strait of Hormuz

Table of Contents

crypto.news

Other articles published on Apr 23, 2026

Join our free newsletter for daily crypto updates!