Egypt vs Iran
Crypto regulation comparison
Egypt
Iran
Restricted
Restricted
Egypt heavily restricts cryptocurrency. The Central Bank of Egypt prohibits banks from dealing in or facilitating crypto transactions, and a 2018 Dar al-Ifta fatwa declared crypto trading haram. However, Egypt's 2020 banking law created a framework that could eventually allow regulated crypto under CBE licensing.
Iran has a complex stance on cryptocurrency. Crypto mining is legal and licensed by the Ministry of Industry, but using crypto for domestic payments is banned by the CBI. The government has explored using crypto for international trade to circumvent sanctions. Mining operations are periodically shut down during energy shortages.
Tax Type
Unclear
Tax Type
Unclear
Tax Rate
N/A
Tax Rate
N/A
Exchanges
No
Exchanges
No
Mining
No
Mining
Yes
Regulator
Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), Dar al-Ifta
Regulator
CBI (Central Bank of Iran), Ministry of Industry
Stablecoin Rules
Not applicable under current restrictions
Stablecoin Rules
Not applicable; crypto payments and trading domestically restricted
Key Points
- CBE prohibits banks and financial institutions from dealing in cryptocurrency
- Dar al-Ifta issued a 2018 religious ruling (fatwa) against crypto trading
- 2020 Central Bank and Banking Sector Law requires CBE approval for any crypto activity
- Creating or operating a crypto platform without CBE license is illegal
- Despite restrictions, Egypt has significant peer-to-peer crypto activity
Key Points
- Crypto mining is legal and licensed by the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade
- CBI bans using crypto as a domestic payment method
- Licensed miners must sell mined crypto to the CBI or authorized exporters
- Government has explored crypto for sanctions evasion in international trade
- Mining farms periodically shut down during summer/winter energy demand peaks