Over 20 Crypto-Related Businesses Shut Down in Herat, Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s central bank imposed a nationwide ban on crypto this month and the Taliban regime has arrested several dealers who defied orders to stop trading digital tokens. The crackdown comes after some Afghans turned to cryptocurrencies to preserve their wealth and keep it out of the Taliban’s reach. Crypto has become a popular way of moving money in and out of the country, which is shut off from the global banking system due to sanctions leveled on the militant group. Sayed Shah Saadaat, head of criminal investigations at the police headquarters in Herat said 13 people were arrested, most of whom were released on bail, while more than 20 cryoto-related businesses have been shut down in Herat, Afghanistan’s third-largest city and a hub for trading in digital tokens.