Iran conflict spurs bitcoin adoption in MENA as Gulf states pursue regulated digital asset frameworks

The article reports that during the June 2025 Israel–Iran conflict, capital stayed in digital assets rather than leaving the region, with investors rotating from altcoins into Bitcoin, pushing Bitcoin dominance to 64.8%. MENA on-chain volumes grew from roughly $100 billion in 2022 to an estimated $350 billion by 2025–2026. The Gulf's regulated ecosystem operated without major disruption; the UAE processed about $150 billion in 2025 transactions. Saudi Arabia grew 154% year-on-year and Qatar 120%, while sanctions-hit and currency-unstable countries like Egypt saw P2P Bitcoin volumes rise over 300% amid devaluations.

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• Digital Assets
• BTC
• Iran
• Adoption