Pakistan Is Taking a Big Step Toward Cryptocurrency Regulation

Pakistan is working on a clear framework for digital assets. The country pursues this strategy to achieve both foreign capital investment and Web3 ecosystem development.

Pakistan is making a big step toward cryptocurrency regulation as the country works on a clear framework for digital assets, according to a report by Bloomberg.

What Happened: The government is rolling out this initiative after appointing Saqib as an expert for digital asset management to the Ministry of Finance.

Sources told Bloomberg that Saqib began his role as Chief Advisor to the Finance Minister during the early days of March. The government is using Saqib’s expertise in AI applications as he focuses on cryptocurrency development to improve governmental efficiency and public sector innovation.

“We are going to be a no-go zone for crypto, we are going to be a yes-go zone,” Saqib said in an interview with the news outlet.

The statement comes as several Asian countries are being monitored by analysts for their adoption of cryptocurrency. The nations in the region are following in the footsteps of former President Donald Trump, who was a fan of cryptocurrency during his time in office.

A consultant for the World Bank, Trump previously said that he is "not a fan" of Bitcoin (BTC) but is a "big fan" of cryptocurrency in general.

“We're going to have to live with it, the whole world is going to have to live with it. Since President Trump is a fan of crypto, and everyone is following President Trump, we're going to have to do it, too.”

Related Link: Best Cryptocurrency Scanners

Why It Matters: As of March 2025, the Pakistani government has launched the Pakistan Crypto Council.

The council will be tasked with facilitating the integration of blockchain technology and digital assets into the financial sector.

The country is also known for having a large working-age population, which could help in building out a Web3 ecosystem.

“We have 64% of the population below the age of 30. Is there any other country in the world, in the top 50 economies, that has such a young workforce?” Saqib asked.

“It’s incredible. We’re going to have to move, we can’t just sit back passively any longer.”

Top Gainers (Week Beginning Mon, March 25)

On the bright side, Chain (NASDAQ:XWEB) experienced a remarkable 128% surge in a single week, thanks to its recent partnership with Mastercard (NYSE:MA) to launch cryptocurrency payment services in Vietnam. Among other notable gainers were Aptiv (NYSE:APTV), soaring 76% following a positive earnings report, and iShares iBoxx $ High Dividend Corporate Bond (NYSE:HDIV), increasing by 75%.

On the downside, a few stocks faced significant declines. Notably, Extreme Networks (NASDAQ:EMXG) experienced a steep 90% drop following a disappointing earnings report, while PacWest Bancorp (NASDAQ:PACW) saw a 78% decrease due to concerns over its financial stability. Finally, iShares III Short Treasury Bond (NYSE:SHV) experienced a 75% decrease as investors reacted to the upcoming meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee.

Among the cryptocurrency tokens, Chainlink (CRYPTO: LINK) showed promise with a 1,000% increase over the past week, attributing the gain to a recent partnership with Google Cloud (NASDAQ:GOOGL) to integrate Chainlink’s Price Feeds into the cloud provider’s services. Among other notable gainers were APE token, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, which experienced a 546% increase, and Kava (CRYPTO:KAVA), a cross-chain DeFi platform, which saw a 530% rise.

In the realm of government bonds, the PHLX Triple x-linked Long Term Treasury (DE:DE3000) index, designed to amplify the returns of a portion of the U.S. Treasury market, displayed an impressive 1,000% gain over the past week. This significant surge can be attributed to a strong demand for government bonds as a safe-haven asset during times of economic uncertainty.

As of Monday's close, the PHLX Triple x-linked Long Term Treasury index stands at 0.0004, indicating a substantial increase from the previous week's value of 0.00003. This index is a derivative of the PHLX Long Term Treasury index, which, in turn, tracks a segment of the U.S. Treasury market.

The triple x-linked structure of the index serves to magnify the underlying price movements. In simpler terms, if the PHLX Long Term Treasury index rises by 10%, the PHLX Triple x-linked Long Term Treasury index is likely to increase by 30%.

However, it's important to note that while the magnitude of the gain is significant, the actual dollar value change is minimal due to the extremely low price levels at which the index trades.