Pakistan Pushes 'Pakistan‑First' Digital Asset Strategy at Point Zero Forum

Overview

• PVARA Chairman Bilal Bin Saqib used the Point Zero Forum in Zurich to announce a public “Pakistan‑first” approach that aims to help write international standards for tokenized money.
• He argued that money is becoming software and that regulators should manage innovation rather than ban it, a message delivered on the forum’s main stage and in private talks with global financial leaders.
• Saudied closed‑door meetings included central bankers and executives from Singapore, Japan, the Philippines, Gulf states and Europe to discuss how countries can use dollar‑denominated tokenized systems without surrendering monetary sovereignty.
• Pakistan is pressing this case from a position of strength because Chainalysis ranked it third worldwide for grassroots crypto adoption in 2025, driven by a young mobile population, a large freelance sector, roughly $38 billion in annual remittances, and growing stablecoin use as an inflation hedge.
• If Islamabad gains influence in rule‑making, emerging markets could win more voice over the design of stablecoins, CBDCs and tokenized payments, a shift that would affect how remittances and savings are routed and regulated for ordinary users.