Pakistan Takes Center Stage in Global Crypto Policy Talks

Pakistan is taking center stage in global crypto policy talks after Minister of State and Chairman of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) Bilal Bin Saqib declared that the country intends to help rewrite the rules governing global money. Speaking at the prestigious Point Zero Forum 2026 in Zurich, Bin Saqib emphasized that Pakistan is stepping up as a key architect of the world's new financial system.

The forum brought together over 2,000 central bankers, regulators, and industry leaders from June 23 to June 25. Bin Saqib spoke on a panel titled 'Unchaining Tokenized Money: Stablecoins, CBDCs, and the Race for Scale,' where he delivered a direct message to traditional financial gatekeepers.

Money has become software, and software does not respect borders, Bin Saqib stated. He argued that countries experiencing massive digital asset adoption cannot prohibit it, so they must choose whether to govern the infrastructure or surrender it entirely to others. As a result, Pakistan is pursuing a 'Pakistan-first strategy' to ensure emerging economies shape the future of tokenized finance rather than inheriting foreign frameworks.

Pakistan's prominent presence at the forum reflects its explosive growth in the virtual asset sector. With over $38 billion in annual remittances and a young, mobile-first population, Pakistani citizens have adopted digital assets long before federal frameworks existed. Now, PVARA is actively building regulations to match the reality on the ground.