Digital Apartheid: When Internet Access Stops Being a Public Right
There was a time when the phrase “Digital Apartheid” sounded exaggerated — a dramatic metaphor used by activists and academics to describe technological inequality between nations or social classes. But in today’s Iran, the term is slowly transforming from metaphor into reality. What is emerging is no longer merely censorship or internet filtering. It is […]
Plans for 2026?
As the year comes to an end, everyone asks about plans. But maybe the real question isn’t what we want to build — it’s how we want to live. These are my answers to one simple question. Each one a fragment of a life in progress. Plans for 2026? Do crazy things. Many crazy things. […]
Tokenization and the Future of Iran’s Digital Economy
(From my op-ed in Donya-e-Eqtesad) By Reza Ghiabi Staying ahead in today’s rapidly shifting markets requires more than following trends — it requires understanding the underlying transformations that are reshaping how value, trust, and transactions flow in the global economy. One of these transformations is asset tokenization, a concept that, despite the buzz around it, […]
Iran’s Role in Global Policy Research: Lessons from the OECD Study on Women Entrepreneurs
When the OECD and the Global Women’s Entrepreneurship Policy Network (GWEP) launched their global study Bridging the Finance Gap for Women Entrepreneurs in 2025, the goal was not only to understand the financial challenges women face but also to highlight how different national contexts shape access to opportunity. As one of the contributing researchers to […]
Technology Firms and the Future of Iran’s Stock Market
The stock exchange has always been a crossroads where tradition meets innovation—a place where established, legacy industries coexist with emerging sectors, ultimately shaping a marketplace that reflects both the history and the future of economies. The Tehran Stock Exchange is no exception. Recent developments in policy suggest a gradual opening of a new path: enabling […]
Tokenization: A New Dawn for Iran’s Capital Market?
Imagine being able to own a fraction of a commercial tower in Dubai or shares of a tech company in Germany with just a few hundred thousand tomans—without the hassle of complex contracts or the high costs of traditional investment. Thanks to blockchain technology, this vision is no longer science fiction. It’s becoming reality through […]
Iran’s Afghan Workforce at Risk: Hidden Costs of Mass Deportation—Recession, Inflation & Lost Opportunities
Over the past four decades, Iran and Afghanistan have formed a complex and inseparable bond: hundreds of kilometers of porous borders and recurring wars across the Helmand River have made Iran the first host of millions of Afghan refugees. This population—estimated by independent sources to be between five to six million today—not only bears humanitarian […]
Under Siege and Online: Iran’s Digital Businesses After the 12-Day War
After weeks of silence, Iran Startup Pulse returns—not with a whisper, but with a report from the frontline of Iran’s embattled digital economy. The 12-day war may be over, but its aftershocks still echo through Tehran’s server rooms, digital ad dashboards, and the halls of the Ministry of ICT. The nation’s tech sector, once touted […]
Iran’s Stock Market Between Global and Local Forces
In recent weeks, financial markets have been shaped more than ever by the simultaneous pressure of global and domestic variables—a condition that makes decision-making harder for investors, yet far more meaningful. While major global stock markets are going through price corrections, tighter monetary conditions in parts of the world, and a rise in institutional risk […]
When Currency Volatility Hits the Street: Why Economic Protests Are Rarely About Just Economics
In many emerging economies, sudden waves of protests are often explained in simple terms: inflation, currency depreciation, or declining purchasing power. But reality is usually more layered. Currency shocks rarely remain confined to balance sheets or trading screens; they move quickly into everyday life, reshaping incentives, behaviors, and even moral boundaries in the marketplace. What […]
