On May 28, 2025, Bilal Bin Saqib, Special Assistant to Pakistan’s Prime Minister on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency, announced the country’s first government-led Strategic Bitcoin Reserve at the Bitcoin Vegas 2025 conference in Las Vegas.
Speaking to an audience that included U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr., Saqib highlighted Pakistan’s potential as a hub for digital innovation, drawing inspiration from U.S. crypto policies during President Donald Trump’s administration.
🇵🇰 BREAKING: Pakistan’s government is reportedly planning to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve.
“We are holding #Bitcoin and we will never sell them.” pic.twitter.com/za5Y6r2unN
— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) May 28, 2025Saqib announced that Pakistan’s national Bitcoin wallet will maintain assets in state custody as a long-term sovereign reserve, rather than for trading or speculation. The government has allocated 2,000 megawatts of surplus electricity to support Bitcoin mining and AI data centres to attract global miners and tech companies. This initiative intends to monetise excess energy, create jobs, and draw in foreign investment, especially since Pakistan is home to over 40 million crypto wallets.
Policy Shift and Digital Asset Authority
The announcement signifies a shift in Pakistan’s stance against cryptocurrencies, which had classified digital currencies as illegal. In February 2025, the government established the Pakistan Crypto Council and appointed Saqib as its CEO and Special Assistant on May 26. Saqib leads the Pakistan Digital Assets Authority (PDAA), responsible for regulating crypto platforms, ensuring compliance with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards, and promoting growth in the Web3 sector. Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao serves as an advisor to the council.
Saqib emphasised the importance of empowering Pakistan’s youth and the unbanked population, stating, “We have over 100 million unbanked individuals… Crypto can help them overcome economic barriers.” He also highlighted plans to tokenise assets such as land.
Read: Pakistan to Legalize Crypto, Says Adviser Bilal Bin Saqib
Pakistan’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve positions it among nations like the U.S. and El Salvador embracing crypto, signalling a Web3-driven economic shift.
