When Saudi Arabia crypto ban, a sweeping 2017 prohibition on all cryptocurrency transactions, exchanges, and mining activities enforced by the central bank and religious authorities. Also known as crypto prohibition in Saudi Arabia, it was meant to protect citizens from financial risk and preserve the country’s religious and economic order. But the ban didn’t stop crypto—it just pushed it underground.
While the government still labels Bitcoin and Ethereum as illegal, millions of Saudis use P2P platforms, stablecoins like USDT on TRC20, and VPNs to trade. The central bank, the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), which enforces the ban and monitors financial institutions for crypto-related activity hasn’t cracked down on individuals, only on businesses and exchanges operating openly. Meanwhile, crypto regulation in the Middle East, a growing trend where countries like the UAE and Bahrain embrace crypto while Saudi Arabia clings to prohibition has made the kingdom look increasingly isolated. Even state-backed projects like the digital riyal pilot show the government knows digital money isn’t going away—it just wants control.
What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t theory. It’s real stories: how Saudis buy Bitcoin through Telegram traders, why USDT on Polygon is replacing older methods, and how local miners quietly run rigs in basements with solar power. You’ll also see how the ban fuels black-market trading, inflates prices, and pushes young Saudis into risky DeFi schemes. This isn’t about politics—it’s about survival in a country where inflation is rising, banks are slow, and crypto is the only way out for many.
Saudi Arabia bans banks from handling crypto transactions, yet its crypto market is growing fast. Learn how individuals and businesses navigate this strict ban, the risks involved, and what the future might hold.
