US Sanctions Target Iran Crypto as Bearish Bitcoin and XRP Forecasts Resurface

Key Takeaways

• The US has expanded its authority to sanction foreign people and businesses operating in or supporting Iran's digital-asset sector.

• The measures do not sanction Bitcoin, XRP, or the wider crypto market, but could increase compliance pressure and amplify broader geopolitical risks.

• Benjamin Cowen's $30,000–$40,000 Bitcoin scenario and Anthony Di Pizio's $0.18 XRP are back in the spotlight.

The US has opened a new front in its pressure campaign against Iran by placing the country's crypto sector within the reach of expanded sanctions.

On Monday, Aug. 24, the Treasury Department announced that foreign people and companies operating in five Iranian industries could now be sanctioned regardless of where they are based.

Although the measures do not target Bitcoin or XRP directly, they arrive as two severe crypto-market forecasts return to the spotlight.

Analyst Benjamin Cowen has said Bitcoin could eventually bottom between $30,000 and $40,000, while Motley Fool analyst Anthony Di Pizio has outlined a scenario under which XRP falls to approximately $0.18.

US Expands Sanctions Reach Into Iran's Crypto Sector

The US Treasury said the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had issued new determinations covering Iran's digital-asset, technology, gold, aviation, and shipping industries.