Pakistan’s Crypto Council: A Sovereign Bet on the Digital Future
By Shabir Mustehsan, Founder, Seriously Agile Media
Invited Member of the Press at Consensus 2025, Toronto – May 14
Seriously Agile Media is proud to represent Pakistan at Consensus 2025 in Toronto as an invited member of the international press.
This year’s conference brings together blockchain innovators, global regulators, and political figures like Eric Trump, against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving digital economy.
“It’s an honor to represent our country at such a global event — not just as a voice from Pakistan, but as a platform helping shape how the world sees emerging talent and innovation from the Global South.”
— Shabir Mustehsan, Founder, Seriously Agile Media
Consensus isn’t just a conference. It’s the epicenter of new digital systems — from decentralized identity to tokenized assets — and Pakistan’s entrance onto this stage signals a dramatic shift in both domestic vision and global engagement.
A National Digital Pivot — And a Strategic One
In March 2025, the Government of Pakistan formally launched the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC), signaling a pivot away from a previously hesitant stance on digital assets. Chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, the Council includes top representatives from the State Bank of Pakistan and the Securities and Exchange Commission, making it not just a policy lab, but a high-level national agenda.
In his Harvard address, Aurangzeb stated:
“It is not enough to regulate innovation—we must empower it. Our blockchain policy must reflect sovereign priorities, not borrowed models.”
Pakistan’s crypto play isn’t merely about trend participation — it’s an attempt to redefine the country’s economic identity in the 21st century, using blockchain as a tool for inclusion, stability, and independence.
A New Kind of Leader: Millennial, Global, and Technically Fluent
At the forefront of this movement is Bilal Bin Saqib, a 30-year-old LSE graduate, Web3 investor, and now CEO of the Pakistan Crypto Council. Bilal represents a rare breed: a policy architect who understands both code and capital.
Unlike many government appointees, Bilal has no legacy affiliations, no political obligations. Instead, he brings lived experience in venture building, smart contracts, and DeFi systems. His appointment was not a token gesture — it was a declaration: the next chapter of national strategy will be led by those who build, not those who merely regulate.
This decision is already paying dividends, as foreign press and venture communities begin to take Pakistan’s Web3 intentions more seriously.
“Pakistan is often seen through a lens of crisis management. This is one of the few times it’s being recognized for opportunity creation.” — Startup founder, based in Dubai
Infrastructure + Ideology: Energy Diplomacy Meets Web3
One of PCC’s earliest proposals has drawn international attention: converting Pakistan’s idle energy capacity into Bitcoin mining and AI data centers.
This is more than a resource reallocation. It’s a thesis — that Pakistan’s national grid, long seen as a liability, can become a core asset in the global data economy.
The plan involves:
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Partnering with miners and AI cloud providers
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Incentivizing local provinces to integrate blockchain infrastructure
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Turning excess energy into exportable digital value
Pakistan, with its hydroelectric potential and load-shedding struggles, is now experimenting with a system where blockchain demand becomes a stabilizing force — not a drain.
The Diaspora Factor: A Silent Strategic Advantage
No conversation about Pakistan’s digital future is complete without acknowledging its global diaspora — especially in London, New York, Dubai, and Toronto.
Many of these communities are already contributing:
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Funding startups back home
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Supporting fintech sandboxes via angel networks
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Advising on policy through informal and formal councils
Bilal himself is a product of this bridge — and the PCC’s openness to globally sourced expertise could make it a rare case study of diaspora-driven national tech development.
Regulatory Experimentation: From Sandboxes to Sovereignty
Within weeks of formation, the PCC signed a partnership with World Liberty Financial, a U.S.-based DeFi firm. The agreement includes plans for:
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Launching regulatory sandboxes
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Exploring Pakistani stablecoins backed by public assets
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Creating investor frameworks with clear exit/tax rules
At Consensus 2025, where digital sovereignty is a recurring theme, Pakistan is being talked about in the same breath as El Salvador, the UAE, and Singapore — jurisdictions that have taken proactive stances on crypto policy as a growth engine, not a risk vector.
The CFR Angle: From Currency to Sovereignty
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) recently explored how blockchain technologies are transforming the global order — from reshaping currency flows to challenging U.S. financial dominance. In a March 2025 piece titled “Who Controls Crypto Shapes the Future”, CFR analysts warned that “nations who do not experiment with sovereign blockchain architecture risk dependence on commercial or foreign systems.”
Pakistan’s PCC appears to have read the memo. The country is:
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Pursuing digital sovereignty, not just regulation
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Aligning with like-minded international actors
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Creating public-private hybrids that could outpace slower Western regulatory bodies
“This is no longer about crypto adoption. It’s about geopolitical leverage through programmable value.”
— CFR Analyst, cited in Cryptocurrency and National Strategy, 2025
What Comes Next?
Seriously Agile Media will continue reporting on:
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PCC’s alignment with FATF and IMF frameworks
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The emergence of Lahore and Karachi as blockchain startup hubs
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Pakistan’s positioning within BRICS tech and finance initiatives
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How millennial public policy design shapes generational trust
Shabir Mustehsan
Founder, Seriously Agile Media
Press Delegate at Consensus 2025, Toronto