Govt to License Banks and Exchange Companies for Virtual Asset Operations

Govt to License Banks and Exchange Companies for Virtual Asset Operations

Islamabad – July 30, 2025 — The federal government has officially begun implementing its virtual asset regulatory framework with the aim of formalizing and regulating the growing digital asset space in Pakistan. A high-level meeting was held in Islamabad on Tuesday, bringing together key stakeholders including representatives from banks, exchange companies, and the jewellery sector. […]

Pakistan and El Salvador Sign Landmark Bitcoin Cooperation Agreement

Pakistan and El Salvador Sign Landmark Bitcoin Cooperation Agreement

Bilal Bin Saqib, Minister of State for Crypto and Blockchain and CEO of the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC), met with President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador in San Salvador, marking the first-ever official meeting between a Pakistani government representative and the Salvadoran Head of State. During the meeting, Saqib and Bukele discussed El Salvador’s experience […]

Pakistan kick-starts preparation for issuance of debut Panda bond

Pakistan kick-starts preparation for issuance of debut Panda bond

Govt officials initiate series of pre-marketing investor meetings in Beijing. KARACHI: Representatives of the Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan, have initiated a series of pre-marketing investor meetings in Beijing, China, from July 7 till 11, 2025, as part of a non-deal investor roadshow (NDR) in preparation for Pakistan’s debut Panda Bond issuance. The MoF […]

Pakistan’s Domestic Savings Rate Far Below Regional Averages: SBP Governor

Pakistan to Launch Digital Currency Pilot, Finalises Virtual Assets Law: SBP Governor

KARACHI/SINGAPORE: Pakistan is preparing to launch a pilot project for its own digital currency as part of broader efforts to modernise its financial system, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmad announced on Wednesday. Speaking at the Reuters NEXT Asia Summit in Singapore, Ahmad confirmed that the central bank is finalising legislation to regulate […]

Cabinet Approves Formation of Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority

Cabinet Approves Formation of Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority

Islamabad, Pakistan – July 8, 2025 — In a landmark move, the Federal Cabinet has formally approved the creation of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), paving the way for a comprehensive legal and institutional framework to regulate the country’s rapidly expanding digital assets ecosystem. The newly proposed authority will operate as an independent […]

Pakistan Crypto Council Forms Technical Committee to Draft Crypto Laws and Regulations

Pakistan Crypto Council Forms Technical Committee to Draft Crypto Laws and Regulations

A high-level meeting of the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) was held at the Finance Division, chaired by the Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb. The meeting focused on the draft regulatory framework for digital and virtual assets in Pakistan, aiming to align with international standards and evolving technological trends. Participants also discussed […]

Pakistan to Roll Out Unified Facial Recognition System by End of 2025

Pakistan to Roll Out Unified Facial Recognition System by End of 2025

Islamabad – May 31, 2025: The Ministry of Interior has directed all relevant departments to halt the separate storage of citizens’ biometric data and begin transitioning to a unified facial recognition system, with full nationwide deployment expected by December 31, 2025. The directive was issued during a high-level meeting chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi […]

Binance Academy and Pakistan’s Ministry of IT and Telecom partner to advance nationwide blockchain education

Binance Academy and Pakistan’s Ministry of IT and Telecom partner to advance nationwide blockchain education

This partnership aims to provide blockchain education support to 300 educators and reach 80,000 students across 20 universities in Pakistan by 2026. Binance Academy, the open-access blockchain and crypto learning hub of Binance, and the Ministry of IT and Telecom (MoITT) in Pakistan today announced a partnership to advance blockchain education across the nation. This […]

Pakistan issues first blockchain-based HPC license to Higgs Computing

Pakistan issues first blockchain-based HPC license to Higgs Computing

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA) has issued the country’s first-ever license for Blockchain-Based High Performance Computing (HPC) to Higgs Computing Limited. The move is supported by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and marks a major leap toward positioning Pakistan as a regional tech hub. The initiative is also backed by the Ministry […]

Pakistan to Establish a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve, Allocate 2000MW of Energy for Crypto Mining

Pakistan to Establish a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve, Allocate 2000MW of Energy for Crypto Mining

Las Vegas, Nevada – May 28, 2025 — In a groundbreaking announcement at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Blockchain and Crypto, Bilal Bin Saqib, unveiled an ambitious national strategy to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and allocate 2,000 megawatts of electricity for Bitcoin mining and AI data centers. […]