BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes has publicly challenged reports that Iran is collecting Bitcoin (BTC) tolls from oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

His skepticism echoes a growing chorus of crypto voices questioning whether Tehran’s crypto toll demands have any on-chain substance behind them.

The controversy stems from a report on Bitcoin tolls at the Strait of Hormuz. According to Hamid Hosseini, spokesperson for Iran’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union, laden tankers must email cargo details to Iranian authorities.

They then receive a toll assessment of roughly $1 per barrel of oil on board.

BREAKING: Iran will levy a $1 per barrel transit fee on all oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz during the current two-week ceasefire.

Payments must be made in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies to avoid international sanctions and payment tracking. pic.twitter.com/Il7nQ8F4oj

Payments must be made in cryptocurrency or Chinese yuan. BTC was explicitly cited as an accepted option. Fully loaded supertankers could face fees of up to $2 million, roughly 281 BTC at recent prices.

The payment window is reportedly just seconds long, designed to make funds difficult to trace or seize under Western sanctions.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) enforces compliance, with non-compliant vessels risking denial of passage.

Hayes responded on X with a pointed challenge.

“I’ll believe Iran is charging a toll in $BTC when I see a tx linked to a vessel’s toll payment. Otherwise, it’s just the IRGC trolling the western filthy fiat financial system,” Hayes challenged in a post.

Despite a two-week US-Iran ceasefire, shipping data shows minimal tanker traffic. According to reports citing intelligence firm Kpler, no oil or gas tankers have passed through since the ceasefire took effect.

Hundreds of vessels remain waiting, and the waterway that normally handles roughly 135 ships per day remains largely restricted.

The The New York Times reported that the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively closed on Wednesday, nearly 24 hours after a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, with no oil or gas tankers passing through the vital waterway.

Citing data from ship-tracking firm Kpler, the…

Earlier Bloomberg reporting indicated some vessels had paid tolls in yuan or stablecoins like Tether (USDT) for IRGC-escorted passage before the ceasefire.

However, no BTC-specific payments have been verified on-chain.

Other renowned accounts amplify the skepticism, citing “geopolitical shitposting” as the reason the story transcends BTC-only to any crypto or yuan within minutes.

lmao they posted fake news about Bitcoin being taken for Hormuz ships 10mins before the open

Then Iran said counter attack+close straight at 930am

And then it came out that Hormuz payment can be in any crypto(stablecoin) or CHINESE YUAN

LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooo

This casino…

Meanwhile, a Mossad-linked commentary account raised an additional wrinkle. It claimed Iran listed the Trump-linked USD1 token as an accepted payment method, framing the move as a potential geopolitical provocation.

🚨 IS IRAN TROLLING TRUMP WITH CRYPTO TOLLS IN HORMUZ?
Reports claim Iran is now demanding cryptocurrency payments from oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Payable in Bitcoin, USDT… and even the…
TRUMP-LINKED USD1 TOKENT‼️

BTC surged roughly 5% on the initial reports, signaling that markets treated the news as a bullish adoption signal.

Yet the EU has publicly stated that freedom of navigation must be ensured without any payment or toll.

The #EU says that freedom of navigation in the #StraitofHormuz must be ensured with "no payment or toll whatsoever", after #Iran suggested it could charge for letting ships through the vital #Gulf waterway. pic.twitter.com/0RY2SJrmlJ

If a verifiable on-chain transaction surfaces linking BTC to a specific vessel’s toll, it would represent one of the largest real-world sovereign uses of Bitcoin for energy-related payments.

Until that proof appears, Hayes and much of the crypto community remain unconvinced.

The post Arthur Hayes Calls Iran’s Bluff: Show Me the Bitcoin or It’s Just IRGC Theater appeared first on BeInCrypto.

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