Ziya Sadr, an Iranian Bitcoin advocate, has been arrested by Iranian security forces. Multiple sources revealed the affair, which was reported on Sunday.

According to the sources, the arrest took place in the streets of Tehran on September 19 and, so far, Sadr has not been released.

Sadr’s arrest came amid widespread anti-government protests following the murder of a 22-year-old Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody. Iranian authorities arrested at least 35 journalists in connection with the widespread demonstrations.

While Sadr is currently being held in Fashafouyeh prison and remains in contact with his family and close friends, a reason for his arrest has not been released.

The sources said that Sadr was not participating in a protest at the time of his arrest. He was scheduled to be released on bail on Sunday, but mass arrests from the protests have caused bail applications across the country to be delayed.

Sadr is just one of several Iranian residents and activists detained by the government in the weeks after the protests. It is unknown if the Iranian government’s interest in Sadr is associated with his defense of Bitcoin.

Sadr is a popular Bitcoin educator and Youtuber and an advocate for the technology. He has been translating Bitcoin content into Farsi and promoting privacy-focused ways to use Bitcoin for personal transactions.

Last year, Ziya Sadr, a Tehran-based Bitcoin expert, revealed the role Bitcoin plays for Iran’s economy amid sanctions against the country. For Iran, anonymous transactions made in cryptocurrencies allow local users and businesses to circumvent economic sanctions that have crippled the economy.

Sadr said: “Iranians understand the value of a borderless network much more than others because we cannot access any kind of global payment networks. Bitcoin shines here.”

Ever since former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions on Iran, the popularity of cryptocurrencies has surged in the Islamic nation.

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