When people talk about Turkish crypto trading, the fast-growing, high-volume cryptocurrency market driven by Turkish retail investors seeking inflation protection and alternative savings. Also known as crypto trading in Turkey, it's one of the most active retail crypto markets in the world, with millions of people using digital assets to protect their savings from currency devaluation. Unlike in many countries where crypto is treated as a speculative asset, in Turkey it’s often seen as a financial lifeline. The lira has lost over 80% of its value against the dollar since 2018, pushing people to Bitcoin, USDT, and other stablecoins to keep their money from evaporating.
That’s why crypto exchanges in Turkey, platforms like Paribu, BtcTurk, and Koinim that cater specifically to local users with Turkish Lira deposits and withdrawals. Also known as Turkish crypto platforms, they’re built for speed, low fees, and simple interfaces—no complex KYC, no waiting days to cash out. These exchanges handle billions in monthly volume, often outpacing global giants in local transaction volume. But here’s the catch: while they’re popular, they operate in a gray zone. Turkey has no formal licensing system for crypto exchanges, and the central bank banned credit card purchases for crypto in 2021. Still, people keep trading using bank transfers, cash deposits, and peer-to-peer networks. And then there’s crypto taxes in Turkey, the unclear, inconsistently enforced rules around capital gains from digital asset sales. Also known as crypto taxation Turkey, the government hasn’t created clear guidelines, so most traders don’t report. That doesn’t mean there’s no risk—tax authorities have started auditing large wallets and tracking bank flows linked to exchange deposits. The result? A market that’s both incredibly active and legally fragile. Traders know the risks, but they also know the alternative—watching their savings shrink month after month—is worse.
What you’ll find in this collection are real, detailed breakdowns of how Turkish traders navigate this system. From reviews of the top local exchanges to explanations of how P2P trading works in Istanbul cafés, to how people use USDT to buy groceries or pay rent, these posts show the ground-level reality—not the headlines. You’ll see how people avoid bank blocks, which coins are most trusted, and why even a 10% drop in Bitcoin doesn’t scare them as much as a 1% drop in the lira. This isn’t theory. It’s survival.
Despite a payment ban since 2021, Turkish citizens trade over $85 billion in crypto annually by using licensed exchanges, P2P platforms, and VPNs to bypass restrictions. Here's how they do it - and why the ban didn't stop them.