Pakistan to establish Digital Assets Authority to regulate crypto

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Finance announced to establish the Pakistan Digital Assets Authority (PDAA) to regulate digital assets and accelerate the growth of the country’s virtual asset economy in a move what it called a ‘landmark’.

“The government has endorsed the establishment of a dedicated body, Pakistan Digital Assets Authority and the initiation of a comprehensive strategy to regulate blockchain-based financial infrastructure,” a press statement issued here read.

It added that the purpose of the establishing the PDDA is to ensure FATF-compliant innovation, economic inclusion, and responsible adoption of digital assets.

“Pakistan must regulate not just to catch up — but to lead. With the PDAA, we are creating a future-ready framework that protects consumers, invites global investment, and puts Pakistan at the forefront of financial innovation,” Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, who is also the Chairman of the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC), said.

According to the press statement, the Pakistan Digital Assets Authority will serve as a specialized regulatory body with a clear mandate to oversee licensing, compliance, and innovation within the digital asset ecosystem. It will regulate exchanges, custodians, wallets, tokenized platforms, stablecoins, and DeFi applications — all under a single, agile framework.

“This strategic decision aligns Pakistan with other forward-thinking economies such as the UAE, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong — all of which have established digital asset regulators to foster innovation while ensuring compliance with global financial norms.”

The PDAA is expected to regulate a $25B+ informal crypto market, enable tokenization of national assets and government debt, provide legal clarity to global and local investors, facilitate monetization of Pakistan’s surplus electricity through regulated Bitcoin mining, and empower youth and startups to build blockchain-based solutions at scale

The statement read that with the proposed PDAA, Pakistan is signaling its intent to become a competitive player in the global digital economy, inviting responsible innovation, and building trust with investors, entrepreneurs, and international partners.

“This is not just about crypto — it’s about rewriting our financial future, expanding access, and creating new export channels through tokenization, digital finance, and Web3 innovation,” said Bilal Bin Saqib CEO of Pakistan Crypto Council.