World stuns as Pakistan Announces Plans for Bitcoin Reserve Strategy
Pakistan unveils plans for a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, marking a significant shift in its cryptocurrency stance
Pakistan's Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Crypto and Blockchain, Bilal Bin Saqib, has announced the country's intention to establish a government-led Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR). This decision was made public during the Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas.
According to Saqib, the reserve will hold Bitcoin assets that the government already owns or plans to acquire, emphasizing that these digital assets will not be sold but kept as a long-term investment in sovereign decentralized finance.
President Donald Trump's administration's pledge to set up a strategic Bitcoin reserve is reported to have sparked this interest. Although the U.S. has yet to implement the plan, it seems to have inspired other nations, including Pakistan, to consider Bitcoin as a part of their national reserves.
Saqib also highlighted the United States’ recognition of Bitcoin as an opportunity for innovation, freedom, and sovereignty.
Pakistan is not limiting its crypto interest to the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. In March, Saqib informed Bloomberg that the country was stepping up its efforts to develop a legal framework to promote crypto adoption and investment. This push led to the appointment of Binance founder, CZ, as a strategic advisor, and a partnership with Trump-backed World Liberty Financials for crypto adoption and blockchain-related projects.
As part of the SBR plan, Pakistan will allocate 2,000 megawatts of surplus electricity in Phase 1 to support Bitcoin mining operations and AI data centers. This move aims to position Pakistan as a hub for crypto mining and blockchain technologies.
According to the latest crypto adoption report by Chainalysis, Pakistan was among the top ten countries in crypto usage due to increased centralized exchange usage. If implemented, Pakistan would join El Salvador, the Kingdom of Bhutan, the U.S., and China as Bitcoin holders.
As of May 2025, roughly eight countries hold Bitcoin collectively worth over $57 billion, according to BitBo data. The growing interest of nation-states and institutional adoption is projected to be a major factor driving Bitcoin's long-term upward trend.
At press time, Bitcoin was trading at around $108K, up 14% in the past thirty days and 40% from the April low.
Pakistan's SBR plan involves developing a comprehensive legal framework, substantial investments in mining infrastructure, and strategic partnerships to empower the country's youth, promote technological innovation, and integrate Pakistan more deeply into global decentralized finance ecosystems. These actions could inspire other emerging economies to consider cryptocurrencies as part of their national reserves and may help widen the acceptance and normalization of crypto in national financial strategies.
- Pakistan's strategic shift in cryptocurrency stance includes the establishment of a government-led Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR), as announced by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Crypto and Blockchain, Bilal Bin Saqib.
- Pakistan's SBR will hold Bitcoin assets as a long-term investment, not for sale, and the decision was inspired in part by President Donald Trump's administration's pledge to do the same.
- Pakistan aims to position itself as a hub for crypto mining and blockchain technologies by allocating 2,000 megawatts of surplus electricity to support Bitcoin mining operations and AI data centers.
- In addition to the SBR, Pakistan is also developing a legal framework to promote crypto adoption and investment, along with strategic partnerships, such as those with Binance founder, CZ, and Trump-backed World Liberty Financials.
- As cryptocurrency usage continues to grow worldwide, Pakistan's SBR could inspire other emerging economies to consider cryptocurrencies as part of their national reserves, driving wider acceptance and normalization in national financial strategies.
