Bitcoin is a rich source of income opportunities for a country like Iran, addressing issues that might not seem crucial in other countries.
Bitcoin is a rich source of income opportunities for a country like Iran. Although Bitcoin and, following it, cryptocurrencies have created numerous opportunities for humanity and all nations, in Iran, they solve issues that might not seem critical in other countries. In most countries around the world, citizens can easily transfer money to any part of the globe via banks. In other countries, governments and companies face no particular restrictions for exporting their goods and services, aside from competitive market pressures; in fact, they often receive incentives within domestic regulations or international treaties. In most countries, citizens and companies have access to necessary financial resources through credit lines and loans. Many governments face no restrictions on borrowing from foreign sources. Financing for investments in many countries can be carried out through predictable and clear processes.
However, in Iran, due to the oppressive sanctions imposed by the global hegemonic system, all the actions that seem normal in other countries become impossible. Iran must extract its gas under restrictions on access to technology and international capital, sell it to a neighboring country, and wait for years to import essential goods at a high cost in return. My intention here is not to explain the numerous issues caused by sanctions, which you endure in whichever position you find yourself. My goal, however, is to point out some opportunities that have been neglected or self-sanctioned in our country.
Bitcoin mining is one of these opportunities that has been misunderstood in our country, and instead of being developed, it has declined. This is not a fanciful idea but a clear reality that mining is the simplest way to generate income and bring foreign currency into the country—especially for a country blessed with abundant and cheap energy resources. International financial services, such as letters of credit backed by cryptocurrencies, could have provided solutions to many trade barriers, but they have not. Financing large national companies and projects could have solved significant public issues, but the potential of cryptocurrencies in this area has also been overlooked.
What has led to this neglect is, first and foremost, the lack of a national development-oriented policy based on understanding and utilizing various opportunities presented by cryptocurrencies. The absence of a comprehensive national policy has caused a fragmented approach among different institutions, each pursuing its own institutional and subjective agendas. One institution opposes it, another bans it, a third welcomes it, and yet another enforces regulations—leading to increasing restrictions for blockchain industry players and missed opportunities for a country in dire need of them. There is much debate on these issues, part of which we have addressed in this issue, and I hope the esteemed government and the President personally take the lead in forming a national commitment to the blockchain sector.
I am pleased that the Blockchain Research Journal has reached its third issue through the efforts of its contributors, and I hope the content produced in this issue will be useful to you.
Until next time, let’s stay connected.
