Pakistan plans bitcoin reserve but govt says crypto still banned at home

In a high-profile presentation at the Bitcoin Vegas 2025 Conference, Pakistan took the global cryptocurrency community by surprise with an announcement to establish a state-backed Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, described as a symbolic step toward long-term engagement with decentralised finance.

The declaration came from Bilal Bin Saqib, recently appointed as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Crypto and Blockchain with the status of a Minister of State.