CoinDesk Podcast Network Pakistan Confirms Plans to Launch National Stablecoin to Collateralize Debt
Dec 5, 2025
Bilal Bin Saqib, the Chairman of Pakistan's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, discusses the country's ambitious plans for cryptocurrency and stablecoin launch. He emphasizes the need for regulatory clarity to harness the crypto boom, especially among Pakistan's youth. Bilal reveals plans for a national stablecoin aimed at reducing remittance costs and including the unbanked population. He also shares insights on leveraging Bitcoin mining for sovereign compute and AI development, showcasing Pakistan's strategic vision in the digital assets landscape.
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Centralized Regulatory Mandate
- Pakistan created a single independent digital assets regulator to turn confusion into clarity.
- The authority will handle licensing, education, and act as a one-window operation to speed crypto adoption.
Youth Drives Massive Adoption
- Pakistan ranks among the top adopters despite no promotion, driven by a very young, tech-savvy population.
- The government aims to create an enabling environment so youth can flourish beyond trading into innovation.
Mining As Path To Sovereign Compute
- Bitcoin mining is a gateway to building sovereign compute and AI infrastructure for Pakistan's large freelancer base.
- The first phase of bitcoin mining and associated wallets are underway to support AI data centers and inference needs.