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Pakistan Opens Crypto Licensing: 'Come Build Here' Under New Rules
Pakistan invites foreign crypto firms to apply for licenses under its new Virtual Assets Act, ending a decade-long ban and offering clear rules, banking access, and regulatory oversight.
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Pakistan has opened its doors to crypto businesses, inviting foreign companies to apply for licenses under the country's first formal regulatory framework for virtual assets.
Bilal Bin Saqib, the special assistant to the prime minister on blockchain and cryptocurrency, announced in an X post Friday that licensing regulations are now in force. The Virtual Assets Act, approved by the senate earlier this year and signed into law by President Asif Ali Zardari, creates a legal structure for overseeing digital assets and the firms that operate in that space.
“For approximately a decade, Pakistan’s answer to virtual assets was complete permission and complete ban – but history tells us that technology never waits for permission,” Bin Saqib said. He added: “To the companies watching Pakistan from outside, the front door is open for you. Come, get licensed. Come, get banked. Come, build here under rules that are clear, public and enforceable.”