How Moroccans Use Crypto for International Payments Despite the Ban

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Every day, thousands of Moroccans send money across borders - to family in Spain, students in Canada, small businesses in Turkey. But they’re not using banks. They’re not using Western Union. They’re using Bitcoin, USDT, and other cryptocurrencies - even though it’s illegal.

The Ban That Didn’t Stick

In November 2017, Morocco’s Central Bank, Bank Al-Maghrib, declared all cryptocurrency transactions illegal. The official reason? Risky, unregulated, and dangerous. No consumer protection. No legal recourse if exchanges collapse. Volatility that could wipe out savings overnight. And, of course, the fear of money laundering.

But here’s the thing: the ban didn’t stop people. It just pushed them underground.

By 2025, the Moroccan crypto market is projected to hit $278.7 million. By 2026, it’s expected to climb to $292.4 million. That’s not a small underground economy. That’s a full-blown alternative financial system - built by ordinary people who need to send money home, pay for imports, or get paid by clients abroad.

Why Crypto? The Real Reasons Moroccans Use It

If you ask a Moroccan why they use crypto, you won’t hear about speculation. You won’t hear about getting rich quick. You’ll hear about survival.

Traditional banking is too slow, too expensive, and too restricted. Sending $500 to a relative in France through a bank can cost $40 in fees and take three days. With crypto, it’s $2 and under 10 minutes.

Morocco has strict foreign exchange controls. Citizens can’t easily buy dollars or euros. Businesses can’t access international payment gateways like PayPal or Stripe. Crypto bypasses all of it.

A tailor in Casablanca who makes custom robes for customers in Germany? He doesn’t get paid in euros. He gets paid in USDT. He converts it to dirhams through a local trader - no bank involved. A student in Montreal sends rent money to his parents in Marrakech? He sends ETH. His mom cashes it out at a local crypto kiosk near the market.

It’s not glamorous. It’s not tech-savvy. It’s just practical.

How It Actually Works

Most Moroccans don’t use fancy wallets or decentralized exchanges. They use simple, local methods:

Peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms: Local traders on LocalBitcoins, Paxful, or Telegram groups buy and sell crypto for cash. You meet in a café, hand over dirhams, get the crypto sent to your wallet.
Crypto kiosks: Small shops in major cities now double as crypto cash-in/cash-out points. You walk in with cash, they send you USDT. You send crypto, they give you dirhams. No ID needed.
WhatsApp and Telegram networks: Entire communities run on encrypted groups. Someone needs to pay a supplier in Dubai? They post in the group. Someone else has USDT and wants dirhams. They match up. Done.

The process is straightforward:

You get paid in crypto from abroad - say, $1,000 in USDT.
You contact a local trader via Telegram.
You send the USDT to their wallet.
They deposit the equivalent in dirhams to your bank account - or hand you cash.

No paperwork. No bank approval. No waiting.

People in a vibrant café exchanging cash for cryptocurrency, with floating crypto icons and abstract floral designs in bold, swirling colors.

The Hidden Risks - And Why People Accept Them

There’s no safety net. If a trader runs off with your money? You’re out of luck. No law enforcement will help. No government insurance. No recourse.

Volatility is real. If you’re paid in Bitcoin and the price drops 15% in two days? That’s your loss.

But here’s the trade-off: the risks of using crypto are less than the risks of not using it.

A Moroccan entrepreneur trying to import machinery from China? Without crypto, she’s stuck. Banks won’t approve the foreign currency. The government limits how much she can buy. She can’t pay. Her business stalls.

With crypto? She finds a Chinese supplier who accepts USDT. Pays instantly. Gets her machine. Keeps her business alive.

For many, crypto isn’t a luxury. It’s the only way to keep their livelihood going.

What the Government Is Doing - And Why It’s Changing

Bank Al-Maghrib isn’t ignoring the problem. It’s working on a solution - but not the one people are using.

The central bank is developing a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) - a digital version of the Moroccan dirham, fully controlled by the state. Unlike Bitcoin, this won’t be decentralized. It won’t be anonymous. But it will be fast, cheap, and cross-border.

They’re partnering with Egypt and the World Bank to test how CBDCs can work for North African remittances. The goal? To offer the benefits of crypto - speed, low cost, global reach - without the risks they fear.

And here’s the biggest shift: on July 21, 2025, Morocco announced it had finalized a draft law to legalize and regulate cryptocurrencies.

This isn’t about endorsing Bitcoin. It’s about bringing the underground economy into the light. Regulating P2P traders. Licensing exchanges. Protecting users. Taxing transactions.

The message is clear: the ban didn’t work. Now, they want to control it.

A split scene showing a banned bank on one side and a glowing underground crypto network connecting Moroccans across the country in radiant colors.

What’s Next for Crypto in Morocco?

The future isn’t about choosing between crypto and CBDC. It’s about both coexisting.

For now, the underground crypto network will keep running. People won’t stop using it overnight. But as the government rolls out its digital dirham, more users will migrate - especially businesses and formal remittance channels.

The real winners? Moroccans who’ve spent years fighting the system to stay connected to the world. They’ve built their own financial infrastructure. Now, the government is finally catching up.

The next five years will be about transition: from chaos to control, from secrecy to regulation, from survival to stability.

And for the millions of Moroccans who’ve used crypto just to pay their bills? They don’t care about the labels. They just want their money to move - fast, cheap, and without permission.

How You Can Send Money to Morocco (Legally)

If you’re sending money to Morocco and want to avoid the risks of crypto:

Use licensed remittance services like WorldRemit or Wise - they’re compliant and regulated.
Encourage recipients to use the new CBDC when it launches - it’ll be the safest option.
Never send crypto to someone who doesn’t know how to secure it. Wallet mistakes cost people money.

The system is changing. But the need hasn’t. Moroccans will always find a way to send money home. The question is: will it be safe? Or will it stay in the shadows?

RESPONSES

Daisy Family
October 27, 2025 AT 22:47

oh wow, moroccans are just *so* revolutionary using crypto like it's 2014. i'm sure the central bank is just *dying* to be outdone by a bunch of tailors and students with telegram groups. 🙄

Paul Kotze
October 28, 2025 AT 01:27

This is actually a brilliant case study in grassroots financial innovation. The ban didn't kill crypto-it exposed how broken the traditional system was. People aren't using it for speculation, they're using it because it works. That’s not rebellion, that’s necessity.

Jason Roland
October 28, 2025 AT 02:22

I love how the real story here isn't about tech-it's about people refusing to be locked out of the global economy. Banks and governments act like they're protecting people, but really they're just protecting their own control. The fact that this is growing despite the ban says everything.

Niki Burandt
October 28, 2025 AT 15:40

lol at the ‘crypto kiosks’ 😂 like, so the government bans it… and then people just… open shops for it? 🤦‍♀️ i mean, i get it, but also… are we really surprised? it’s like banning water because the pipes leak.

Chris Pratt
October 28, 2025 AT 16:20

This is one of those moments where policy and reality diverge so violently, you have to respect the people who built the bridge anyway. Moroccans didn’t ask for permission-they just made it work. That’s not illegal. That’s human.

Karen Donahue
October 28, 2025 AT 20:49

I just don’t understand how anyone can be okay with this. No regulation? No oversight? What if someone loses their life savings because some guy in Casablanca runs off with their USDT? This isn’t freedom-it’s financial anarchy. And now the government’s going to ‘regulate’ it? Like, why not just let people suffer in peace?

Ray Dalton
October 28, 2025 AT 23:22

The real story here is the invisible economy. People aren’t crypto enthusiasts-they’re survivalists. And the fact that they’ve built a whole parallel system using WhatsApp and cafés? That’s not just clever. That’s genius. The CBDC might be the government’s answer, but it’s the people who built the solution.

Peter Brask
October 29, 2025 AT 04:18

BANKS ARE USING THIS TO TRACK YOU. THE CBDC IS THE FEDERAL RESERVE’S PLAN TO MONITOR EVERY SINGLE DIRHAM YOU SPEND. THEY WANT TO KNOW IF YOU BOUGHT A PAIR OF SANDALS OR SENT MONEY TO YOUR COUSIN. THIS ISN’T ‘REGULATION’-IT’S TOTAL SURVEILLANCE. THEY’RE NOT FIXING THE SYSTEM. THEY’RE TAKING IT OVER.

Trent Mercer
October 29, 2025 AT 15:30

Honestly, the whole thing feels like a meme. Moroccans are out here building a decentralized financial empire with Telegram and cash in cafés, and the government’s still arguing about ‘risk’. Bro. The risk was the bank fees. The risk was the three-day wait. The risk was being locked out. Crypto isn’t the problem-it’s the only thing keeping the economy breathing.

Kyle Waitkunas
October 30, 2025 AT 05:45

I’M SO SICK OF PEOPLE ACTING LIKE THIS IS ‘INGENIOUS’-IT’S A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN. PEOPLE ARE GETTING SCAMMED DAILY. WOMEN ARE BEING TRICKED INTO SENDING CRYPTO TO ‘TRADERS’ WHO VANISH. NO ONE IS SAFE. AND NOW THE GOVERNMENT’S GOING TO ‘LEGALIZE’ IT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THIS ISN’T PROGRESS-IT’S A CULTURE OF DESPERATION BEING SANCTIONED BY THE STATE. I’M CRYING.

vonley smith
October 30, 2025 AT 11:50

You don’t need to love crypto to see this is just people doing what they have to. If your kid’s tuition is due and the bank won’t let you get dollars, what’s your option? Sit there and cry? Nah. You find a guy with a phone and some USDT. That’s not crime. That’s parenting.

Melodye Drake
October 30, 2025 AT 20:18

It’s so cute how people think this is ‘empowerment’. Meanwhile, the people running these kiosks? They’re not entrepreneurs-they’re unlicensed money changers. And the ‘traders’? Half of them are laundering for drug cartels. This isn’t innovation. It’s chaos with a hashtag.

harrison houghton
October 31, 2025 AT 12:57

The ban was a mirror. It showed us that when institutions fail to serve, people build their own. Not because they want to rebel-but because they have to survive. The CBDC isn’t the future. It’s the government finally admitting it lost. And maybe… just maybe… that’s the most human thing here.

DINESH YADAV
November 1, 2025 AT 04:47

This is why the west is weak. Moroccans are building their own system because they are strong. We in India have our own digital rupee. We don’t need crypto. We don’t need chaos. We have discipline. This is not a model. This is failure dressed as innovation.

rachel terry
November 1, 2025 AT 14:36

Honestly i think the whole thing is overblown like who cares if people use crypto to send money home its not like its a big deal or anything and also the government should just chill and let people do what they want because its not hurting anyone and also why is everyone so obsessed with regulation anyway