For the first time in over 15 years, Syrians can use Visa and Mastercard. The two payment giants officially resumed operations on May 9, 2026, just two days before the European Union formally restored full trade relations with the country on May 11.

After more than a decade of crushing sanctions, international isolation, and a civil war that gutted the economy, the country is being plugged back into the financial grid. And crypto is already there waiting.

From sanctions to Mastercard: how Syria got here

The EU first imposed sanctions on Syria in 2011, during the early days of the civil war. The country’s trade volume, which peaked at $9.1 billion in 2010, collapsed.

Then came the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s…