According to the head of Irans Blockchain Association, over 500 BTC belonging to Iranians were confiscated by the U.S. government last year, and the number is still rising. He explains that Iranians are unable to take action through proper channels from within their country due to Irans legal status of cryptocurrency. epehr Mohammadi, the president of Irans Blockchain Association, told Ibena news outlet last week.
He admitted that the exact number of confiscated BTC is not clear, but it is expected to be over 500 bitcoins, worth approximately 25 billion tomans ($5.77 million) at the time, the publication quoted him.
Some people believe that this confiscation is because bitcoin owners were circumventing U.S. sanctions, Mohammadi added.
Over 500 BTC Belonging to Iranians Seized by US Government: ReportRecently, news.Bitcoin.com reported that the government of Iran is considering using cryptocurrencies to evade long-held U.S. economic sanctions. Mohammad Reza Pour-Ebrahimi, the chairman of the Iranian Parliaments Economic Commission, said in an interview with Mizan news agency on July 15 that digital currencies are among the major mechanisms that Iran can use to the evade the sanctions. He noted that the Iranian parliament will soon discuss this issue.
Source: bitcoin.com