GEOPOLITICS | Iran Demands Ships Pay Bitcoin Toll to Transit Strait of Hormuz
Iran is demanding that shipping companies pay a Bitcoin toll for oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, as it moves to maintain control over the critical waterway during the current two-week ceasefire.
Hamid Hosseini, spokesperson for Iran’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union, told the Financial Times that authorities will assess each tanker to confirm that Bitcoin payments have been made and to ensure vessels are not transporting weapons.
The BTC toll system will work as follows:
Tankers must email Iranian authorities with their specific cargo details.
The tariff is set at $1 per barrel of oil. Empty tankers are allowed to pass for free.
Upon assessment, vessels are given only a few seconds to pay the toll in Bitcoin. The Iranian spokesperson claimed this is so the funds can’t be ‘traced or confiscated.’
Any vessel attempting unauthorized transit ‘will be destroyed.’
Under the proposed system, tolls are expected to scale with cargo size. The largest crude oil tankers, which can carry roughly 3 million barrels, could be required to pay around $3 million in Bitcoin per transit.
Bitcoin has been selected as the preferred payment method because it bypasses traditional financial infrastructure, is not tied to any sovereign entity, and is less exposed to international sanctions.
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The toll mechanism forms part of a broader framework introduced by Iran to tightly regulate movement through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil chokepoint, amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and restrictions on maritime traffic.
Other rules include:
Ships are required to submit detailed cargo and vessel information in advance.
Ships will undergo background checks.
Ships must follow designated routes closer to Iran’s coastline.
Final decisions on passage are overseen by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, with approval not guaranteed and delays expected.
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INSTITUTIONAL | Leading Global Brokerage Firm With $12 Trillion in Client Assets Outlines 2 Appro...
Charles Schwab, a global brokerage firm with almost $12 trillion in client assets, is urging investors to rethink how they approach crypto exposure, saying strategy should be based on risk tolerance rather than potential returns.
In a recent analysis, the brokerage found that even small allocations to digital assets can significantly reshape a portfolio’s risk profile. Exposure of just 1% to 3% to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum can materially increase volatility and alter overall performance dynamics.
BITCOIN | South Africa’s Largest Independent Asset Manager Urges Clients to Limit Bitcoin Exposure to Under 5% of Their Portfolio @sygnia manages ~$20 billion and recently lauched Sygnia Life Bitcoin Plus fund which tracks the iShares $BTC ETF. https://t.co/7UkBKw6OID pic.twitter.com/kvKzubP6hh
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) September 23, 2025
Schwab said the key question for investors is not how much money crypto can make, but how much downside they can take during sharp market swings noting that major cryptocurrencies have historically experienced drawdowns of more than 70%.
The firm outlined two approaches to crypto allocation:
one focused on expected returns and diversification benefits, and
another centered on managing total portfolio risk.
The firm emphasized that position sizing remains critical given crypto’s outsized impact even at low allocations.
The first approach is a traditional allocation model and framework that produces highly variable outcomes based on investor conviction as this chart demonstrates.
The second approach is a risk-budgeting framework that allocates crypto based on contributions to total portfolio risk rather than expected returns.
In such a scenario, Schwab notes:
“It takes only a 1.2% allocation to bitcoin and a 0.9% allocation to ether to reach the 10% risk level.”
Looking at the 2 approaches, Schwab says:
“There is no ‘correct’ allocation to cryptocurrencies, and we believe the decision is largely a personal one.Even small allocations to bitcoin or ether can significantly affect portfolio performance.”
The findings come as traditional financial institutions deepen their engagement with digital assets, while continuing to caution clients about the sector’s high volatility.
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INSTITUTIONAL | Bhutan Offloads ~70% of Bitcoin Holdings in 18 Months
Bhutan has offloaded roughly 70% of its bitcoin holdings over the past 18 months, according to blockchain data, with its reserves falling from about 13,000 BTC in late 2024 to under 4,000 BTC currently.
Recent transfers, including about 319 BTC worth roughly $23 million, are part of a broader pattern of steady outflows from wallets linked to the government and its investment arm, Druk Holding & Investments.
While the purpose of the transactions has not been officially confirmed, analysts suggest many of the movements may be sales or treasury management activity.
Separately, on-chain data indicates Bhutan may have scaled back or halted its state-backed bitcoin mining operations, as no significant inflows have been recorded for over a year, though authorities have not commented publicly.
CASE STUDY | Bitcoin Treasury Firm Sees a 99% Drop in Share Price One Year After a Milestone Capital Raise
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STABLECOINS | the Fastest Growing Stablecoin in 2025 Pushes Into Africa
A Russian cryptocurrency payments network operating under Western sanctions is stepping up efforts to expand across Africa, signaling Moscow’s broader push to build alternative financial rails outside the global dollar system.
A recent job posting on a Russian recruitment platform sought a project manager to launch operations in Togo for A7, a crypto-based payments network backed by sanctioned entities including a state-linked defence bank and fugitive Moldovan businessman, Ilan Șor. The role involved building the business from the ground up, another indication of Russia’s growing financial ambitions on the continent.
The move comes as Russia continues to adapt to sweeping Western sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine which cut major banks off from the SWIFT messaging system and restricted cross-border transactions.
A7, founded in 2024, has positioned itself as a workaround using tools such as stablecoins and promissory note structures to facilitate international payments in Rubles. The company claims it can enable fast, uninterrupted transactions for trading partners though the scale of its operations remains difficult to verify.
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Africa Expansion Gains Visibility, But Questions Remain
Promotional materials and social media footage suggest A7 opened an office in Lagos, Nigeria in 2025 and announced a branch in Harare, Zimbabwe. However, its on-the-ground presence appears limited. Industry participants in both Nigeria and Zimbabwe told reporters they were unfamiliar with the platform and there is little digital footprint to confirm active operations.
A report by the Centre for Information Resilience noted the lack of verifiable activity, raising questions about how functional these offices are beyond announcements and promotional events.
Still, Russian officials have publicly backed the initiative. Speaking at a Russia-Africa conference in Cairo, Egypt, Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, described A7 as the country’s “first international financial platform,” claiming Nigeria and Zimbabwe had already joined and encouraging other African nations to follow.
Lavrov also noted that a growing share of Russia’s trade with Africa is being settled in Rubles underscoring a strategic shift toward local currency transactions and away from the U.S dollar.
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Geopolitics Meets Payments Infrastructure
A7’s expansion aligns with Russia’s broader geopolitical engagement in Africa where it has deepened ties through trade agreements, military cooperation, and political outreach particularly in countries experiencing instability or leadership transitions.
Analysts say the payments network could be part of a wider effort to embed Russian financial infrastructure into these relationships.
Backers of A7 have framed the system as a response to what they describe as “illegitimate” sanctions, but also as a scalable platform for countries seeking alternatives to Western-dominated financial systems.
US sanctions have prompted similar, albeit limited, efforts globally to develop non-dollar settlement mechanisms. Russia’s approach, blending crypto tools with state-backed financial entities, marks one of the more aggressive attempts to operationalize such a system.
2025 RECAP | Sanctions Fuel Over 160% YoY Record Flow Increase to Illicit Crypto Addresses in 2025
Unclear Adoption, Strategic Intent
Despite bold claims, A7’s actual usage remains uncertain. The company has said it processes a significant portion of Russia’s foreign trade but those figures cannot be independently confirmed.
Events tied to its African rollout have drawn a mix of business figures and political affiliates though not all attendees appear to have direct involvement in the platform itself.
What is clear is the intent: to create a sanctions-resistant payments ecosystem and extend it into regions where Russia’s political and economic influence is growing.
As global financial fragmentation accelerates, Africa is increasingly becoming a testing ground for alternative systems and Russia is positioning A7 as one of its key instruments.
REPORT | Stablecoins Now Account for 43% of All Sub-Saharan Africa Crypto Transactions, Says Quidax
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