Svmuu News: Amid anti-government protests breaking out across Iran and the government’s implementation of an internet blackout, local residents are rushing to transfer BTC from Bitcoin to their personal wallets.Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis noted that from the start of the protests on December 28, 2024, through the internet outage on January 8, there was a significant increase in BTC withdrawal transactions from local Iranian exchanges to unknown personal wallets, indicating that people are self-custodying Bitcoin at a higher frequency during this period of social unrest.Chainalysis believes this behavior is closely linked to the sharp devaluation of Iran’s fiat currency, the rial. Data shows that the rial’s exchange rate against the U.S. dollar plummeted from approximately 420,000 to over 1,050,000 in a short period, resulting in a rapid loss of purchasing power.Against this backdrop, Bitcoin—due to its decentralized, censorship-resistant, and cross-border transfer capabilities—is viewed as a crucial tool for hedging against currency collapse and economic instability. The report also notes that this trend aligns with patterns observed in other regions worldwide experiencing war, economic crises, or repressive government policies.Furthermore, Chainalysis revealed that addresses linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accounted for over 50% of Iran’s total crypto asset receipts in the fourth quarter of 2025, with on-chain transaction volumes exceeding $3 billion for the year. (CoinDesk)