Trump denies $300B Iran payout as crypto questions rise

President Donald Trump rejected reports that the United States would pay Iran $300 billion, calling them “fake news” after a preliminary draft memorandum tied to a proposed U.S.-Iran framework surfaced ahead of a planned June 19 signing. The draft prompted traders to ask whether any funds could move through cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or stablecoins.

The draft does not promise a fixed U.S. payment. It conditions potential investment on Iran meeting limits on its nuclear program, accepting expanded weapons inspections and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Any funding in the text is tied to Iran fulfilling those requirements.

Vice President J.D. Vance told reporters Monday that large sums would be available only if Iran honored its obligations and that Gulf states, not U.S. taxpayers, would provide the money. He added that funding “could have access to, funded by the Gulf coast coalition, so long as they honor their end of the obligation.”

President Trump rejected the payout claim on his social platform, praised Tehran’s pledge to give up nuclear weapons and blamed political opponents for spreading the report.

Crypto entered the discussion because Iran has used digital assets to try to circumvent sanctions. On June 2, the U.S. Treasury blacklisted four Iranian crypto platforms, including the country’s largest exchange. Treasury officials reported that one exchange processed more than half of Iran’s crypto inflows in 2025 and that much of that volume had links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iranian authorities have also proposed accepting Bitcoin-based tolls for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The draft’s uncertainty and Iran’s past use of crypto affected markets. Bitcoin rose to a two-week high amid hopes for a ceasefire, a swing that erased roughly $246 million in short positions. Traders speculated that a reconstruction fund or other payments could be routed through Bitcoin or stablecoins, though the draft text does not mention digital assets.

Officials expect the June 19 signing to clarify who would provide funding and whether digital assets would play any role. Until then, the combination of a broadly worded memorandum, competing public statements and Iran’s record with cryptocurrencies has kept digital assets part of the public debate over post-conflict financial arrangements.