Daniel Walker
Pakistan has announced the creation of a national Bitcoin reserve, marking a bold move into the digital asset space. The initiative was revealed by Bilal Bin Saqib, CEO of the Pakistan Crypto Council and newly appointed Special Assistant on Blockchain and Crypto to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during his keynote at the Bitcoin 2025 Conference in Las Vegas.
โThis will be a state-owned Bitcoin wallet, not driven by hype or speculation,โ Bin Saqib emphasized. โThese Bitcoins will be held permanently โ they are not for sale.โ
While the exact number of Bitcoins Pakistan plans to hold has not been disclosed, the country has made it clear that its crypto ambitions are long-term and foundational. The digital reserve is part of a multi-faceted strategy that includes:
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Investing 2,000 megawatts of energy for Bitcoin mining operations
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Establishing AI-powered data centers
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Exploring tokenization of government-held illiquid assets
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Leveraging blockchain for improved public sector efficiency
Regulatory Support and Global Inspiration
In support of this vision, Pakistanโs Ministry of Finance launched the Pakistan Digital Assets Authority in May 2025, tasked with regulating and shaping the country’s crypto sector. The announcement comes on the heels of a strategic partnership between the Pakistan Crypto Council and the U.S.-backed World Liberty Financial, signaling growing international collaboration.
Bin Saqib credited the United States, especially recent pro-Bitcoin policies, as a major influence:
โWeโre taking inspiration from America,โ he stated, referring to President Trumpโs executive order to establish a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
Currently, the United States and China lead globally in sovereign Bitcoin holdings, with the U.S. reserve estimated at 200,000 BTCโmuch of it acquired through legal seizures.
Pakistan Joins Global Movement of Bitcoin-Adopting Nations
Pakistanโs bold entry into state-level crypto holdings mirrors global trends. In 2021, El Salvador became the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender, with holdings now valued at over $664 million.
This latest move places Pakistan among a growing group of nations turning to Bitcoin not just as an investment, but as a tool for economic transformation and digital infrastructure development.
