When the Taliban assumed power, money transfer services like Western Union and Swift stopped their operations in the country, leaving many Afghans who got money from relatives abroad without a source of income. Currently, the only way to receive money from other countries is by using crypto.

Ali Rahnavard, a local crypto dealer and trader in Herat, one of the largest cities of Afghanistan, says he saw immense growth in the number of Afghans using cryptocurrencies. Rahnavard said that he saw his customers increase by “ten times” in the past year.

The Taliban restricted bank account withdrawals as they took power in an attempt to address the cash shortage caused by the United States sanctions. Consequently, millions of Afghans could not get food.

Forough is the founder and CEO of a coding academy for girls in Afghanistan called Code to Inspire. The academy was started in 2015 in Herat, Afghanistan.

According to Forough, 350 girls graduated Code to Inspire and 65% of them started their careers to put food on their tables. “The girls texted me that all of them had lost their jobs because of the Taliban’s policies,” Forough said. “And, as the sole breadwinners, their families were falling apart.”