Crypto for secrets: Israeli man arrested in Iranian espionage plot amid conflict

An Israeli man has been arrested for accepting cryptocurrency payments from Iranian operatives for spying on public officials, military sites, and politically sensitive locations.

Multiple reports from local media claim the suspect, identified as 27-year-old Or Beilin from Tel Aviv, had been in contact with Iranian intelligence operatives for several months.

He was arrested on June 24 in a joint operation led by the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) and the Tel Aviv District Police’s Fraud Unit. 

Authorities have seized computers and other equipment from his Tel Aviv home, which investigators say were used to receive crypto payments and stay in touch with his Iranian contacts.

Beilin allegedly followed instructions to photograph the homes of Israeli officials, scout military sites, and tag public spaces with politically charged graffiti..

Investigators claim he was paid thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency for these assignments.

The Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court has extended his detention until June 26 as the investigation continues.

Officials warned that the suspect was recruited via social media, part of what they describe as a broader effort by hostile entities to solicit Israeli citizens for espionage and terror-related activities.

Two other Israelis have also been detained on similar charges.

Among them was 28-year-old Dmitri Cohen, accused of collecting intelligence on Amit Yardeni, the fiancée of Avner Netanyahu, son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Investigators say he was offered $500 for each task, with total crypto payouts reaching several thousand dollars.

War drums grow louder in Iran–Israel standoff

The arrests come amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, following a series of military escalations and retaliatory strikes. 

On June 24, Iran launched a missile attack on a US base in Qatar in response to earlier American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

Although the US successfully intercepted the missiles, the incident marked a sharp escalation in the regional conflict.

Parallel to these events, cyberwarfare between the two nations has intensified.

A pro-Israel hacker group calling itself “Gonjeshke Darande” said it was behind the recent breach of Iran’s largest crypto exchange, Nobitex.

The breach saw over $80 million siphoned through politically charged vanity addresses across multiple chains, including Ethereum, Tron, and Dogecoin.

In response, the Central Bank of Iran imposed new operating hours on crypto exchanges, limiting activity to between 10 AM and 8 PM in an effort to tighten oversight and reduce capital outflows.

According to Gonjeshke Darande, Nobitex played a central role in Iran’s intelligence network, accusing the platform of helping fund terrorism and bypassing global sanctions.

They later released what they claimed was the exchange’s full source code and internal documentation, including backend configurations and deployment tools, further deepening fears among Iranian users and crypto stakeholders.

As of June 24, US President Donald Trump has announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, brokered with Qatar’s mediation after nearly two weeks of escalating conflict.

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