Pakistan -in -law has announced its first strategic bitcoin reserve funded by the government. The neighboring country has invited investment in its crypto markets. The announcement was made by Bilal bin Saqib, CEO of Pakistan Crypto Council, on Wednesday at Bitcoin Vegas 2025 conference in Las Vegas. The conference also attended the conference, Eric and Donald Trump Jr., sons of US Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump. Saqib was recently appointed as special assistant to the Pakistani Prime Minister for Crypto and Blockchain.
A statement issued by Saqib’s office said that Pakistan has more than 4 crore crypto wallets and is one of the largest and most active freelances economies in the world. Saqib has the responsibility of developing a broad, FATF-Compliment Regulatory Framework for digital assets, starting bitcoin mining initiatives and overseeing blockchain integration in governance, finance and land records. The government of Pakistan has alleged a 2,000 MW surplus power in the first phase for bitcoin mining and AI data centers.
Who is Bilal bin Saqib
Bilal bin Saqib is not a bureaucrat or financial expert. He is a social entrepreneur raised in London. He has been a student of the London School of Economics. Bilal first came into the limelight when he co-found the ‘One Million Miles’ initiative during the Kovid-19 epidemic. Under this initiative, more than 100,000 miles were provided to NHS workers and weak communities in the UK. His efforts gave him the title of MBE i.e. ‘Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire’. Not only this, he was also included in Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Europe Social Impact category.
In Pakistan, he co-found a non-profit initiative to distribute ‘H2O wheels’ in rural areas of water scarcity. Now recently he has launched the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC). It is a platform advocating awareness about crypto. It is another matter that the work of PCC has been mainly limited to media outreach and event. Bilal has so far been a policy maker less and one campaign and public advocate.
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Web 3 Growth Expert, Crypto Advisor and Angel Invester
According to information on Bilalbinsaqib.com, Bilal is a web 3 growth expert, Crypto Advisor and Angel Investor. Bilal gives custom incubation and advisory services. His work in Blockchain for Good, especially NFT, has been recognized globally to connect with real -life human reasons. Along with its non-profit organization, Bilal launched the world’s first NFT associated with solving water scarcity in Pakistan.
Is Pakistan’s Bitcoin Reserve an attempt to woo Trump?
In March 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to create a strategic bitcoin reserve. The bitcoins that the US government has in this reserve will be put. The government has received these bitcoins as part of criminal or civil property seizure process. Apart from bitcoin, this reserve will also have Ether, XRP, Solan and Cardano. US Vice President JD Vance has also described the Trump administration as crypto-friendly.
According to a report, on 27 April, the Pakistan Crypto Council signed an agreement with the Crypto currency company World Liberty Financial (WLF) of the Trump family. According to Reuters, Trump family members Eric Trump, Donald Trump Junior and Jered Kushner allegedly hold 60 percent of the WLF through an affiliated unit. How many meaningful results of this alliance are revealed, it will be known only later.
Why Bilal’s appointment matters
Bilal’s appointment to the post of cabinet-rank advisor has been at a time when Pakistan is trying to indicate global investors to its digital ambitions. As a special assistant on blockchain and cryptocurrency, Bilal now holds the post of minister. A person whose previous experience is from traditional regulatory, financial or government domain. It may be that this appointment is an attempt to modernize the Pakistani administration through young, internationally recognized voices.
Bilal’s appointment seems more focused on public image than practical improvement somewhere. Their global profile may draw attention but is uncertain whether they have institutional rights or policy experiences to carry forward structurally changes. It remains to be seen whether Saqib’s credibility, his Karizma and communication skills are transformed into institutional capacity, or they are limited to conference forums and social media threads.
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