Pakistan launches first govt-backed strategic Bitcoin reserve
Pakistan has launched its first government-backed strategic Bitcoin reserve, marking a dramatic shift in its stance on cryptocurrencies.
The announcement was made by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Crypto and Blockchain, Bilal Bin Saqib, at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas.
Speaking to an international audience that included US Vice President JD Vance, Eric Trump, and Donald Trump Jr, he said the country is allocating 2,000 megawatts of surplus energy in Phase 1 to support Bitcoin mining operations and artificial intelligence (AI) data centres.
“The Pakistan of tomorrow is being built today by its youth and led by a new generation of tech statesmen,” said Saqib, adding that the move follows the US government’s example in establishing a Bitcoin strategic reserve and reflects a broader shift towards pro-crypto policy under the Donald Trump administration.
🇵🇰 BREAKING: Pakistan to Launch a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve!
At the #Bitcoin 2025 Conference in Las Vegas, Pakistan made a historic move
Pakistan’s Special Assistant to the PM on Blockchain, Bilal Bin Saqib, announced that the country will officially build a Strategic Bitcoin… pic.twitter.com/eLANb1geabIn February 2025, Pakistan established a National Crypto Council to draft regulatory frameworks and attract foreign crypto investment.
In April, Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao was appointed as an adviser to the council.
READ: Govt allocates 2,000MW for AI data centres, bitcoin mining
On April 27, Trump-backed decentralized finance protocol World Liberty Financial (WLFI) signed a letter of intent to support Pakistan’s tokenization of real-world assets and development of DeFi infrastructure.
In another major step, Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance recently commissioned the creation of the Digital Asset Authority to oversee licensing and regulation of crypto platforms.
In further development, US President Donald Trump has issued an executive order to establish a "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" and a "Digital Asset Stockpile".
These reserves will be initially funded using cryptocurrencies seized by the government in criminal and civil asset forfeiture cases.
JUST NOW!
President Trump signs an Executive Order establishing the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/N9p2sQknVSDavid Sacks, the White House official overseeing AI and crypto policy, confirmed the move in a post on X on March 7.
He explained that the Bitcoin reserve would be filled using federally held Bitcoin, while the Digital Asset Stockpile—announced in a March 6 White House fact sheet—will include other types of cryptocurrencies.
This executive action marks a formal step toward integrating digital assets into US government financial planning and infrastructure.