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Udi Wertheimer needed just a few lines to expose a sharp contradiction in Bitcoin culture. In a post on X, the well-known Bitcoin developer pointed out that many Bitcoin maximalists are ‘ecstatic’ at the idea of Iran using Bitcoin to evade sanctions and fund its nuclear program. Yet the same group often labels anyone who spends Bitcoin on NFTs or ‘wizard jpegs’ as an “ENEMY OF THE NETWORK.”
bitcoin maxis are ecstatic about the idea of iran using bitcoin to evade sanctions and fund their nuclear missile program
but if you use your bitcoin to pay for wizard jpegs you are AN ENEMY OF THE NETWORK
— Udi Wertheimer (@udiWertheimer) April 9, 2026
The post struck a nerve because of perceived double standards in the community. For years, a vocal segment of Bitcoin maximalists has aggressively policed how Bitcoin should be used.
🚨 HUUUGE NEWS:
🇮🇷 Iran’s reported move to accept stablecoins & crypto for tankers through the Strait of Hormuz could signify a major shift away from dollar-denominated oil trade! 💸
This could have set the stage for #XRP to become a key settlement asset in a multipolar… pic.twitter.com/vQSz8cFvWo
— 𝓐𝓶𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓮 (@_Crypto_Barbie) April 8, 2026
They have opposed NFTs, Ordinals, and any on-chain activity they consider frivolous or harmful to the network’s core purpose.
The original excitement stemmed from an FT report quoting Hamid Hosseini, a spokesperson for Iran’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union, not a government official or the IRGC.
Ari Redbord, head of national security intelligence at TRM Labs, said he has seen no evidence of crypto being used at scale for Strait of Hormuz transit tolls. He noted, however, that Iran signaling openness to crypto payments would fit its long-standing sanctions evasion playbook.
Andrew Fierman of Chainalysis took a more measured stance, calling the idea ‘highly unsurprising.’ He cited Iran’s documented history of using crypto to facilitate oil sales and bypass sanctions. Chainalysis data shows Iranian-linked addresses received roughly $154 billion in crypto in the prior year alone.
🚨BREAKING🇺🇸🇨🇳🇮🇷: IRAN NOW ACCEPTS BITCOIN AND CRYPTO FOR STRAIT OF HORMUZ PASSAGE. TANKERS ARE PAYING TOLLS IN CRYPTO.
IF YOU THINK THIS JUST HAPPENED BY CHANCE, YOU'RE CLUELESS.
THIS WAS TRUMP'S STRATEGY ALL ALONG. AND CHINA WILL FOLLOW.
WE ARE NOW WITNESSING THE SHIFT FROM… https://t.co/ytJdxG70sk pic.twitter.com/6dQK7Rq0T4
— DooriDoori (@DooridooriX) April 8, 2026
Another analyst on X and CEO of DooriAni, went as far as alluding it was Trump’s strategy from the start. He describes it as the beginning of a shift from ‘petrodollars to petro-crypto dollar’. That could not have been possible when the Trump administration has itself sanctioned individuals and exchanges fingered in evasive crypto use.
Whether the Iran-Bitcoin story is true or fake doesn’t change Wertheimer’s core point.
CRYPTO BULLMARKET THESIS:
– Iran will start taking billions in strait tolls
– Mostly in crypto, they already confirmed Bitcoin
– Bitcoin becomes a legit asset, global reserve, and currency
– Strengthens Bitcoin’s decentralized power, shifting perception away from Bitcoin as…
— 0xMarioNawfal (@RoundtableSpace) April 8, 2026
A vocal part of Bitcoin culture proudly claims the asset is neutral, permissionless, and beyond any government’s control. That principle suddenly vanishes when the use case clashes with their politics.
Wertheimer has made versions of this argument for years. As a longtime Bitcoin supporter, he believes the maximalist mindset ultimately harms the network more than it protects it. The point is not that Bitcoin should never be used for sanctions evasion. Indeed, it’s much simpler. It says a community that cheers one use of Bitcoin while condemning another does not have a coherent philosophy, it has a convenient one.
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