Bitcoin at $150K: Crypto in War Zones – How Ukraine, Sudan & Others Are Using Bitcoin in 2025 - Tech Digital Minds
In 2025, Bitcoin’s price surge to $150,000 isn’t just a headline for investors—it’s a matter of survival in the world’s most dangerous war zones.
When traditional banks collapse, currencies hyperinflate, and sanctions cut off entire nations from global finance, civilians, soldiers, and activists are turning to Bitcoin. From Ukraine’s battlefields to Sudan’s famine-stricken markets, crypto has evolved from a niche asset to a critical tool for resistance, remittances, and humanitarian aid.
This is the untold story of how Bitcoin is rewriting the rules of war economies in 2025.
In conflict zones, national currencies often become worthless overnight. Sudan’s pound has lost 99% of its value since 2020; in 2025, a loaf of bread costs 50,000 Sudanese pounds—or 0.0002 BTC. Banks shutter, ATMs run dry, and international payment systems (like SWIFT) freeze transactions.
Bitcoin’s appeal is simple:
NGOs now use Bitcoin to deliver aid faster. In 2024, the UN reported that 17% of aid to Sudan was crypto-based, avoiding bureaucratic delays. Meanwhile, paramilitary groups trade Bitcoin for weapons on encrypted messaging apps like Telegram.
“In a war, cash is a liability. Bitcoin is silent, global, and unstoppable.”
— Yuri Mykolenko, ex-Ukrainian military, now Bitcoin educator
When Russia invaded, Ukraine received over $200M in crypto donations—mostly Bitcoin and Ethereum funding everything from bulletproof vests to satellite internet.
By 2024, Ukraine’s government formally recognized Bitcoin as legal tender for certain transactions. The hryvnia had collapsed, and crypto was the workaround:
Ukraine’s “IT Army” now crowdsources drone strikes via Bitcoin microtransactions. A $150 BTC donation buys a grenade drop; $1,000 funds a reconnaissance drone.
“We’re fighting a 21st-century war with 21st-century money.”
— Serhii K., Ukrainian drone unit coordinator (anonymous)
Sudan’s civil war has decimated its financial system. In 2025, less than 10% of banks are operational. The Sudanese pound is nearly worthless, and Western Union charges 30% fees for remittances.
Not all adoption is noble. Militias extort Bitcoin from civilians, and “P2P traders” scam desperate families. Yet for many, the risks beat starvation.
“My phone wallet is my bank now. If the militia comes, I swallow the SIM card.”
— Anonymous Sudanese merchant
After the 2021 coup, Myanmar’s military banned VPNs and foreign currencies. Activists now use:
Hamas once relied on crypto (prompting Israel’s 2023 crackdown). In 2025, civilians use USDT to buy Egyptian imports via underground tunnels.
Maduro’s “Petro” crypto flopped, but BTC P2P volume hit $15M/week in 2025. Citizens trade oil vouchers for Bitcoin on LocalBitcoins.
The U.S. Treasury warns that Bitcoin funds militants. In 2024, Hamas received $90M in crypto before Israel froze wallets.
A 20% BTC drop can wipe out a refugee’s savings. Stablecoins like USDT are preferred but require internet access.
Chainalysis helps governments track “illegal” crypto flows. Sudan’s regime now arrests P2P traders.
Bitcoin in war zones isn’t just about money—it’s about power. It funds both resistance and repression, humanitarian aid and weapons deals.
As one Ukrainian volunteer put it: “We don’t care if Bitcoin hits $150K or $1. We care that it works when nothing else does.”
The question for 2026? Whether the UN will adopt Bitcoin for aid—or if governments will outlaw it as a threat.i
Introduction In January 2024, Elon Musk announced a milestone that sounded like science fiction: the…
Introduction In 2021, a patent application for a fractal-shaped food container and a neural stimulation…
1. Introduction Decentralized Finance (DeFi) promised a revolution—borderless, permissionless financial services governed by code, not…
Introduction: The CBDC Tipping Point By 2025, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) will transition from…
1. Introduction Bitcoin’s halving events are among the most anticipated occurrences in the cryptocurrency market.…
Introduction: The Invisible Workforce Reduction In early 2024, a mid-level marketing manager at a Fortune…