Bitwise CEO: Iran’s Crisis Shows Why Bitcoin Still Matters

Crypto News Cryptocurrencies

Written by Aaron S.,

Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: December 30, 2025

Key Takeaways

Tehran protests erupted after the rial hit record lows, with citizens blaming the central bank for eroding their savings;
Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley said Bitcoin offers people a way to protect wealth during times of poor economic management;
Iran’s currency crisis deepened after a 40% drop in value; the central bank governor resigned as rules on crypto remain strict.

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Bitwise CEO: Iran’s Crisis Shows Why Bitcoin Still Matters

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Demonstrations broke out in Tehran on December 29 after the Iranian rial hit its weakest level against the US dollar.

Many citizens said poor central bank decisions were responsible for the decline in value, which left their savings worth far less than before.

Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley said the crisis highlights why people look to digital currencies like Bitcoin BTC $87,912.28 .

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In a post on X, he said, "Economic mismanagement, the story of the past, present, and future, Bitcoin is a new way for the people to protect themselves". He suggested that, in times of economic instability, Bitcoin can help individuals shield their assets from losses in local currency.

Reports from the Financial Times noted that the rial’s value has dropped by more than 40% since the brief war with Israel in June. The exchange rate has reached a record low of around 1.4 million rials to one US dollar.

The fall in currency value has also led to political changes. Iran’s central bank governor, Mohammad Reza Farzin, resigned as protests spread.

Although cryptocurrency trading is technically allowed in Iran, the laws around holding digital coins personally are unclear, and Bitcoin mining is tightly controlled.

VanEck’s head of research, Matthew Sigel, pointed out that the government has been discouraging people from mining Bitcoin.

Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise, shared his thoughts on Bitcoin’s performance over the next decade. What did he say? Read the full story.