Pakistan may soon embrace a Bitcoin-powered future. At the inaugural meeting of the Pakistan Crypto Council on March 21, CEO Bilal Bin Saqib proposed using the country’s surplus energy to mine Bitcoin — a move that could signal a major shift in the nation's approach to crypto.

The proposal comes as the Council pushes for comprehensive regulations aimed at attracting foreign direct investment and positioning Pakistan as a key player in the global digital economy. The meeting was attended by top government officials, including lawmakers, the State Bank governor, the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SECP), and the federal IT secretary.

Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb called the moment a “new digital chapter” for Pakistan, stressing the country’s commitment to building a transparent, forward-looking financial system that empowers youth and drives international investment.

This bold step is a sharp contrast to the government’s anti-crypto stance in 2023, when former finance minister Aisha Ghaus Pasha declared crypto would “never be legal,” citing FATF anti-money laundering rules.

However, the winds have shifted. On November 4, 2024 — the same day Donald Trump won re-election in the U.S. — Pakistan moved to regulate crypto as legal tender. Trump’s return to office brought sweeping pro-crypto moves, including the creation of a federal Working Group on Digital Assets and a ban on developing a central bank digital currency (CBDC). In March 2025, he went further, signing an order to establish a Bitcoin strategic reserve and a digital asset stockpile.

Pakistan’s fresh pivot to crypto, inspired by international developments, could mark the beginning of a tech-driven economic transformation — starting with Bitcoin mining powered by energy once considered waste.