Pakistan Shifts Crypto Policy with New Regulatory Authority

Pakistan is shifting its stance on cryptocurrencies from restrictive to regulatory, thanks to the recently passed Virtual Assets Act of 2026.

The country's newly formed Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), led by Bilal Bin Saqib, is taking steps to license domestic exchanges and ensure user funds are secure.

A meeting between State Minister Saqib and influential scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani has sparked a discussion on the Shariah status of cryptocurrencies in Pakistan, with a focus on a technical review of blockchain technology.