Restricted Countries and Crypto: Who Can't Trade and Why It Matters

When we talk about restricted countries, nations where governments limit or block cryptocurrency use due to sanctions, economic controls, or energy concerns, we’re not just talking about rules—we’re talking about survival. In places like Iran, a country cut off from global banking by international sanctions, crypto isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline. Millions rely on Bitcoin and P2P networks to send money, buy food, and pay for medicine after being locked out of traditional finance. Meanwhile, in Pakistan, a nation facing chronic power shortages, the government gave 2,000 MW of electricity to crypto mining, turning a crisis into a strategic move. These aren’t isolated cases. They’re symptoms of a global system where crypto fills gaps left by broken banks and broken policies.

The FATF blacklist, a list of countries deemed high-risk for money laundering and terrorist financing is one of the biggest forces shaping who can and can’t use crypto legally. When Iran got blacklisted, its banks froze. Crypto became the only way out. But it’s not just about evasion. In Angola, a country with a collapsing power grid, the government banned crypto mining outright, fearing more blackouts. They didn’t ban crypto—they banned the energy drain. And in places like India and Australia, it’s not about banning crypto—it’s about taxing it heavily, tracking every trade, and forcing users into compliance. These aren’t random policies. They’re reactions to crypto’s power to bypass control.

What you’ll find in this collection isn’t a list of banned places. It’s a map of how real people are using crypto when the system fails them. From Iranian miners running rigs on subsidized electricity to Taiwanese traders using a licensed exchange to avoid offshore risks, these stories show crypto’s true role: not as speculation, but as infrastructure. You’ll see how scams target users in restricted regions, how governments try to shut down mining, and how exchanges like ACE in Taiwan or Garantex in Russia become critical nodes in a decentralized network. This isn’t about getting rich. It’s about staying connected when the world tries to cut you off.