According to a report by the Financial Times on September 9th, BlockBeats reports that Iran is gradually easing its strict foreign exchange controls and tacitly allowing companies to use cryptocurrencies, especially Tether (USDT) and Bitcoin, for cross-border transactions in order to cope with the impact of US sanctions and war on its economy and financial system.

Sources say that in recent months, the Central Bank of Iran has quietly encouraged businesses to repatriate overseas funds through various means, including using local cryptocurrency exchanges to settle cross-border trade. Simultaneously, businesses can exchange foreign currency on the open market and use export revenue directly for imports, without having to go entirely through the official foreign exchange system.

A business executive close to the Iranian regime said that the central bank is not currently questioning how funds are transferred, and that "using cryptocurrencies to receive export payments has become completely normal."

Data shows that approximately $10 billion worth of cryptocurrency will flow through Iran in 2025. Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic also estimates that Iran accounts for about 4.5% of global Bitcoin mining activity, mining Bitcoin using cheap energy, enabling it to acquire crypto assets that can be used to import goods and circumvent trade restrictions.

Meanwhile, Iran still has over $100 billion in undeclared overseas and domestic income. Iran's Supreme Audit Institution previously stated that over 20,000 individuals and companies failed to fulfill their obligations to repatriate approximately €94 billion in export revenue.

The Financial Times reports that as the US further tightens its blockade of Iran's financial channels, cryptocurrencies are becoming an important tool for Iran to maintain cross-border trade and access external funding. However, Iranian industry insiders believe that the volume of cryptocurrency transactions is still insufficient to meet the country's enormous economic needs.

Tether had previously frozen approximately $344 million in wallet assets linked to the Central Bank of Iran, and the U.S. Treasury Department had also warned that engaging in digital asset transactions with Iran could face sanctions.

According to BlockBeats, on September 9th, US tech journalist Gurman revealed that Apple (AAPL.O) has finalized the name of its first foldable phone as the iPhone Duo, with a starting price of $2,000, and stated that this price already includes the additional memory cost.

The device offers up to 2TB of storage and will be priced at approximately $3,000. The iPhone Duo is expected to be officially released in October, will support Apple Pencil, and will be available in navy blue and white.