LAS VEGAS / ISLAMABAD – May 29, 2025 — At Bitcoin Vegas 2025, Pakistan took center stage with a bold digital declaration: the creation of a government-led Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a large-scale initiative to redirect 2,000 megawatts (MW) of surplus electricity to Bitcoin mining and AI data centers—moves aimed at positioning the nation as a powerhouse in emerging tech and decentralized finance.
Speaking to a high-profile audience—including U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Donald Trump Jr.—Bilal Bin Saqib, CEO of the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Blockchain & Crypto, delivered a vision that mirrored U.S. ambitions, but with a distinctively Pakistani twist.
Pakistan’s entry into sovereign digital asset custody is concrete and long-term. Bin Saqib unveiled a national Bitcoin wallet, to be used as a sovereign reserve, containing assets already under state custody. He emphasized the reserve is “not for sale or speculation,” but rather a strategic hedge against economic uncertainty and a signal of Pakistan’s new direction in financial sovereignty.
With over 40 million crypto wallets in circulation and a median age of 23, Pakistan’s young and digitally native population underpins its ambitious pivot . Saqib’s call at the conference was resolute: “If you’re building something real, come build it in Pakistan…” .
Technical ingenuity underlies the plan. Pakistan’s coal-fired plants currently operate at just 15% capacity, creating a hidden wealth of unused energy. The government’s finance ministry authorized 2,000 MW—enough to power two large cities—for a pioneering digital strategy: supporting Bitcoin mining operations and AI data centers.
As Francisco Rodrigues at CoinDesk noted, the initiative sees these surplus plants turned from liabilities into revenue generators, earning Pakistan an estimated $500 million annually from Bitcoin alone.
This isn’t simply about mining; it’s a broader infrastructural strategy. The government is rolling out incentives—tax holidays, customs-duty waivers, and subsidized electricity—to attract foreign miners and AI firms, facilitated by the nascent Pakistan Digital Assets Authority (PDAA).
Economic and geostrategic advantages abound. Pakistan’s role as a cross-continental digital corridor—bridging Asia, the Middle East, and Europe—is strengthened by its membership in sub-sea connectivity efforts like the Africa-2 cable system .
Yet concerns loom. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has flagged risks tied to energy allocation, questioning whether diverting subsidized electricity to mining firms aligns with fiscal discipline. There’s also the question of cryptocurrency volatility and whether benefits truly extend to the average citizen.
Domestic critics point out the still-ongoing conflict between institutional backing of crypto councils and previous bans on individual crypto usage. Pakistan’s crypto landscape remains legally ambiguous; the PDAA and PCC appear to be stepping stones toward greater clarity.
Launched in March 2025, the Pakistan Crypto Council joined Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, with PCC chairing by Aurangzeb himself and Bin Saqib as CEO. Binance founder Changpeng Zhao serves as a strategic adviser.
The Council’s mandate includes aligning policy with FATF standards, powering licensure for virtual asset service providers, and integrating blockchain into public governance—whether in land registries, finance, or digital identity.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Digital Assets Authority is taking shape, tasked with formal oversight and regulatory infrastructure to support mining and causative crypto adoption.
Phase 1 announced at Bitcoin Vegas forms the core of a multi-stage rollout. Future plans include shifting to renewable energy—tapping into Pakistan’s wind, hydropower, and solar reserves—as well as deeper integration with global financial systems and blockchain tech hubs.
Investment interest is already evident; international firms—including sovereign miners—have initiated exploratory talks, with more expected over the next quarter.
The success of Pakistan’s plan will be gauged along several axes:
- Will allocated electricity actually be deployed, and will miners commit substantial infrastructure investment?
- Can the Bitcoin reserve deliver measurable economic stability during BTC price swings?
- Will regulators balance investor-friendly incentives with transparency and financial prudence?
- Can Pakistan sustain its role as a regional innovation ecosphere, attracting AI, fintech, and Web3 startups?
If successful, Pakistan may join a rising cadre of nations—such as El Salvador and Japan—that are using Bitcoin reserves and mining to diversify economic structures and stake digital leadership.
Pakistan’s announcement at Bitcoin Vegas 2025 stakes a claim in the future of Web3 finance. By combining sovereign Bitcoin holdings, energy monetization, and regulatory reform, the country is embracing a strategy that merges technological ambition with economic necessity.
Yet execution will determine its success. The government must balance fiscal soundness with innovation, manage energy equity, and wrestle with global oversight pressures. Pakistan’s nascent crypto voyage is a high-stakes experiment—risk and reward coiled in equal measure. If it succeeds, the nation could chart a new path—not just for itself, but for emerging markets navigating the decentralized age.