Policy | April 8, 2026

Iran Ties Hormuz Passage to Bitcoin Tolls

Decrypt, citing the Financial Times, reports Tehran wants tankers to pay $1 per barrel in bitcoin after cargo approval, using the token as a sanctions-resistant toll rail.

Iran plans to charge oil tankers a $1-per-barrel transit fee in bitcoin for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Decrypt, which cited Wednesday reporting from the Financial Times. Ship operators would first email cargo details to Iranian authorities, wait for clearance, and then send the payment to an Iran-controlled wallet before crossing.

Iranian officials told the FT the bitcoin leg is meant to keep the toll outside normal sanctions reach, making the payments harder to trace or seize. Tehran is pitching the system as part of the post-ceasefire rules around one of the world's most sensitive energy chokepoints, where roughly a third of global crude supply passes each year.