Overview
- Cloudflare Radar recorded Iran’s internet traffic dropping to effectively zero on Jan. 8–9, indicating a countrywide disconnection.
- Security forces’ response to economic protests in Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan has led to at least 36 deaths and over 2,000 detentions, according to reports.
- Mining operations were forced offline, cutting Iran’s contribution to the global hashrate to about 4% or less and causing temporary 2–5% global dips before difficulty adjustments steadied the network.
- The rial’s collapse to record lows after a loss of more than 800% since 2020 has pushed an estimated 7 million Iranians toward crypto, with TRM Labs tracking roughly $3.7 billion in flows in Jan–Jul 2025.
- Workarounds such as Starlink and Blockstream satellites or mesh tools are being touted for access, though Starlink reports are unconfirmed and all methods face regulatory and technical limits.