In response to rumors that Iran may seek to collect shipping tolls using cryptocurrencies, Kaitlin Martin, a senior intelligence analyst at Chainalysis, stated that under the current sanctions framework, any payments made to the Iranian government (including key waterway transit fees) could be considered "material support," posing serious sanctions risks for shipping companies that violate U.S. and international restrictions. Martin pointed out that while cryptocurrencies allow cross-border transfers outside the traditional financial system, their ledgers are transparent and permanently recorded, making them easier to trace than traditional sanctions evasion methods. Additionally, due to tensions with the U.S. and Israel, Iran's Bitcoin hash rate has dropped significantly over the past quarter, from about 9 EH/s to approximately 2 EH/s. (Cointelegraph)