PM Shehbaz and CDF Asim Munir briefed on Pakistan’s emerging virtual assets ecosystem
Binance Global CEO Richard Teng meets Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Marshal Syed Asim Munir in Islamabad on Saturday, December 6, 2025. Photo: APP
The government reiterated its commitment to building a transparent and secure regulatory framework for digital assets, as top officials held a high-level meeting with Binance executives, including its global CEO Richard Teng, during his visit to Islamabad.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defense Force Field Marshal Asim Munir were also present in the meeting. The meeting was briefed about Pakistan’s emerging virtual asset ecosystem. Bilal Bin Saqib, Chairman of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), also participated and outlined the authority’s recent progress and ongoing initiatives.
Read: Pakistan ranks third in the world in crypto despite lack of regulation: Bilal Bin Saqib
In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said the government remains committed to creating “a transparent and secure regulatory framework for digital assets to promote innovation while protecting the interests of investors.”
The commitment comes as Pakistan prepares to enter the global digital finance arena with the launch of its first stablecoin, part of a broader plan to integrate virtual assets into the national economy.
Saqib previously confirmed this development at Binance Blockchain Week, where he said Pakistan would “definitely launch” a stablecoin while also making progress on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).
He made the comments during a panel discussion on emerging markets regulation organized by the Pakistan Crypto Council. His appearance followed earlier announcements this year, including the unveiling of Pakistan’s first government-led strategic Bitcoin reserve at Bitcoin Vegas, an event attended by prominent US political figures.
In May, the government allocated 2,000 megawatts of electricity for the first phase of a national program supporting Bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence data centers.
Pakistan remains one of the most active crypto markets in the world. According to the Chainalysis 2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index, the country ranks third in the world, ahead of major economies including China, Germany and Japan. It also ranks second for retail crypto transactions and third for activity on centralized exchanges, reflecting a market driven by high trading volumes.
Read also: Pakistan to launch first stablecoin, says official
Saqib said Pakistan seeks to channel this momentum through a structured regulatory environment that protects investors without stifling innovation. “Pakistan is the third largest crypto market in the world without any regulatory framework,” he said at Binance Blockchain Week Dubai. “We now want to turn this momentum into a global case study.”
He cautioned, however, that the rankings measure trading volume rather than the number of individual cryptocurrency holders. Estimates suggesting between 20 million and 40 million Pakistani users, he added, remain unverified due to the lack of independent nationwide studies.
Pakistan now finds itself at a tipping point: a rapidly growing, youth-driven crypto market is developing alongside a still-developing regulatory framework. As adoption continues to increase, particularly among younger and tech-oriented users, risks related to volatility, limited public awareness, and past scams persist.
Pakistan’s future as a high-growth crypto market, Saqib said, will depend on how effectively regulation balances innovation, investor protection and long-term stability.
