Pakistan follows in US' footsteps, to set up Strategic Bitcoin Reserve: All you need to know

Pakistan announced the creation of its first government-backed strategic bitcoin reserve, marking a significant step towards integrating digital assets into its financial strategy, PTI reported.

The announcement was made on Wednesday by Pakistan Crypto Council Chief Executive Officer Bilal Bin Saqib at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas. The event was attended by US Vice President JD Vance and the sons of President Donald Trump, Eric and Donald Trump Jr.

The announcement comes nearly three months after the United States established its own Strategic Bitcoin Reserve to diversify its national holdings beyond traditional assets like gold and foreign currencies.

CEO seeks global crypto investment

Saqib, who was recently appointed special assistant to the prime minister for crypto and blockchain, called for investments in the country’s crypto markets. In his speech, he invited global crypto builders to come and invest in Pakistan. "If you’re building something real, come build it in Pakistan… Come build wallets for the unbanked. Come tokenise land. Come scale your mission with our youth and our unstoppable grit,” he said.

Saqib stated that Pakistan is no longer defined by its past. “It is being reborn as a forward-looking hub of digital innovation, powered by its youth, sharpened by necessity, and led by a new generation of tech statesmen,” the CEO was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his office.

The statement also mentioned that Pakistan has over 40 million crypto wallets and is one of the “largest and most active freelancer economies in the world”.

Bitcoin reserve ‘not for sale’

In his speech, Saqib emphasised that the establishment of the national bitcoin reserve is solely for the purpose of holding digital assets which are already in state custody. "The reserve is not for sale or speculation, but as a sovereign reserve signalling long-term belief in decentralised finance,” as reported by Dawn.

Saqib also revealed in his speech that the government had allocated 2,000 megawatts of surplus electricity in the first phase for bitcoin mining and building AI data centres. This initiative aims to open doors to partnership with sovereign miners, tech firms, and clean energy partners around the world.

Regulations for digital assets   

According to an official release, Bilal Bin Saqib is responsible for developing a comprehensive Financial Action Task Force (FATF)-compliant regulatory framework for digital assets, launching bitcoin mining initiatives, and overseeing blockchain integration in governance, finance, and land records.