‘Pakistan-First’ Digital Asset Strategy puts country at forefront of Global Crypto Push

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan declared its intention to play a leading role in shaping the future of global digital finance, with Minister of State and Chairman of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) Bilal Bin Saqib saying the South Asian nation will help define the rules governing the next generation of financial systems. Addressing global policymakers and financial leaders at the Point Zero Forum in Zurich, Saqib said the world is witnessing a fundamental shift in the way money is created, transferred, and regulated, driven by the rapid rise of digital assets, tokenized money, stablecoins, and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). “The rules governing money are being rewritten, and Pakistan will help write them,” Saqib said, outlining what he described as a “Pakistan-first” strategy aimed at positioning the country as an active contributor to international digital asset policymaking. He urged emerging economies to move beyond simply adopting regulatory models designed elsewhere and instead play a direct role in crafting global standards. According to Saqib, countries experiencing rapid digital asset adoption should prioritize regulating the infrastructure supporting virtual assets rather than attempting to curb innovation. Speaking during a panel on tokenized money, stablecoins, and CBDCs, Saqib argued that technological advances are rapidly transforming traditional financial systems. “Money has effectively become software,” he said, adding that financial networks built around national currencies and geographical borders are evolving faster than ever before. He maintained that countries willing to embrace this transformation through smart regulation would be best positioned to benefit from the emerging digital economy. “Our job is not to forbid the future but to govern it well,” he told delegates. The panel also featured Mampho Modise and focused on the regulatory opportunities and challenges posed by