Pakistan Plans DeFi Strategy for Bitcoin Reserve, Bilal Bin Saqib Reveals

In late May 2025, Pakistan’s crypto scene made global headlines. Bilal Bin Saqib announced live at the Bitcoin 2025 conference that Pakistan would establish a Bitcoin Reserve using DeFi strategy. This bold step has put the country on the map for crypto watchers around the world.

Bilal Bin Saqib is the CEO of the Pakistan Crypto Council and the country’s first crypto minister. He says a meeting with Michael Saylor, executive chairman of Strategy and a big Bitcoin supporter, gave him more confidence in this plan. Saqib was already a big fan of Bitcoin, but talking with Saylor made him feel like he had discovered it all over again.

Pakistan Plans DeFi Strategy for Bitcoin Reserve, Bilal Bin Saqib Reveals

Saqib praised Saylor for his strong beliefs and support for Bitcoin. He described him as a man of conviction who is good for Bitcoin and the entire crypto space.

After their talk in Las Vegas, Saqib wasted no time. He invited Saylor to Pakistan. By June, Saqib and Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb were on a Zoom call with Saylor. They asked him to be an adviser for Pakistan’s new Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. This news came only two months after Pakistan appointed former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao as an adviser, too.

But Saylor wasn’t the only important figure Saqib met. He also spoke with Brock Pierce, a crypto venture capitalist and former US presidential candidate. Saqib also met US policymakers who are working on crypto laws. He believes the Bitcoin Vegas conference was more than just an event. It was a strong message to the world that crypto is here to stay.

According to Saqib, the gathering brought together people who care about financial freedom and want a more inclusive economic future. He pointed out that it was rare to see so many government officials at a crypto event.

After Las Vegas, Saqib didn’t rest. Just days later, he was at the White House. There, he met Robert “Bo” Hines, executive director of former US President Donald Trump’s Council on Digital Assets. Saqib said it was an honour to represent Pakistan at the White House as a tech-driven nation that wants to grow in the digital finance world.

He spoke with Hines about many topics. These included Bitcoin reserves, stablecoins, and how to connect US innovation with Pakistan’s young people. Pakistan has the world’s third-largest freelancer market, so Saqib believes these connections are important.

See also: Pakistan Eyes Bitcoin for Economic Growth in Talks with Michael Saylor

Saqib is not new to making headlines. He got into crypto eight years ago when he launched Web3Pak, Pakistan’s largest crypto community. In 2023, he received an MBE from Princess Anne and King Charles for his One Million Meals charity work in the UK during COVID-19.

In March this year, Saqib became CEO of the Pakistan Crypto Council. This council was created to unite different crypto efforts under one roof. The council includes the finance minister as chairman, along with the governor of the State Bank and the SEC chairman. In May, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made Saqib his special assistant on crypto and blockchain. Saqib calls it the world’s only official ministry dedicated to crypto.

Pakistan’s Bitcoin Reserve will partly use Bitcoin seized from criminals, which was sitting unused. Some people think Pakistan might try to buy more Bitcoin before the US does. But Saqib says that’s not true. Pakistan will not spend extra money to buy Bitcoin now. Instead, the plan is to earn passive income by putting Bitcoin into decentralised finance (DeFi) protocols. Pakistan even plans to use extra electricity for Bitcoin mining and AI centres.

Saqib believes this is only the beginning. He wants young people to talk to older politicians about the benefits of crypto. He says older leaders don’t fully understand this new world and are too cautious. He encourages young people everywhere to push their governments to accept digital assets. In his eyes, this is the future of finance, and no country should be left behind.

Pakistan’s steps show that the country wants to lead among emerging economies when it comes to crypto. With Saqib’s vision and growing global partnerships, the future looks bright for Bitcoin in Pakistan.