Reuters: Iran's largest cryptocurrency exchange Nobitex's founder has links to the family of the Supreme Leader

BlockBeats News, May 3rd, according to Reuters investigation, Iran’s largest crypto trading platform Nobitex was founded by brothers Ali and Mohammad Kharrazi. The two reportedly used the alias “Aghamir” to participate in company registration and business activities to downplay their connection to Iran’s power core, the Kharrazi family.

The report states that the Kharrazi family has long maintained close ties with Iran’s supreme leadership system, with connections to Ali Khamenei and his popular successor Mojtaba Khamenei. The brothers’ grandfather was a member of the Expert Council responsible for appointing the supreme leader and served as Mojtaba’s mentor; their father was involved in founding the Iranian political organization Hezbollah and helped establish the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Reuters reports that Nobitex currently has over 11 million users and has continued operations even during nationwide internet outages and wartime in Iran. Analysts estimate that during the conflict, the platform processed over $100 million in crypto transactions, with a large portion of funds flowing overseas.

Blockchain analysis firms indicate that Nobitex has handled some transactions related to sanctioned entities, but different organizations report varying figures: Elliptic estimates approximately $366 million in suspicious funds, while Chainalysis estimates about $68 million.

Additionally, the report states that wallets associated with the Iranian central bank transferred hundreds of millions of dollars in crypto assets to Nobitex in 2025, believed to be part of Iran’s efforts to circumvent financial sanctions.