Trump’s Oil deal with Pakistan opens door for Crypto
After wrapping up a major round of trade talks, Pakistan and the United States are now setting their sights on something new — digital innovation. On July 31st, a high-level meeting took place between Bilal Bin Saqib, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Crypto and Blockchain, and Bo Hines, Executive Director of President Trump’s Council of Advisers on Digital Assets. The meeting signaled a fresh start in US-Pakistan ties, this time focused on cryptocurrency and blockchain.
The two sides discussed how to work together on global crypto policies and Pakistan’s growing ambition to become a regional leader in Web3 and blockchain development.
Interestingly, this meeting happened just a day after the US launched its long-awaited Digital Asset Framework — a key step toward regulating crypto on a global scale. The timing wasn’t a coincidence. It showed that Pakistan and the US are ready to move beyond trade and explore deeper cooperation in digital finance.
This wasn’t Saqib’s first time in Washington. Back in June, he met several top US lawmakers — including Senators Cynthia Lummis, Tim Sheehy, Rick Scott, NYC Mayor Eric Adams, and Bo Hines — to discuss crypto and blockchain.
Saqib also leads the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC), which is driving the country’s national crypto strategy. From shaping laws to licensing virtual asset providers, the PCC is working to bring blockchain into mainstream use across industries in Pakistan.
