Pakistan Just Hired a Big Name in Crypto

CZ is back… kind of

Changpeng Zhao, better known as CZ, used to run Binance—one of the biggest crypto exchanges out there.
He stepped down in 2023 after some legal trouble in the U.S.*
Now? He’s making a comeback in Pakistan, but not as a CEO. He’s been hired as an adviser.

Yes, that CZ. The one who got four months in prison. Wild, right?
(In crypto terms: an “adviser” helps plan strategies and guide rules, not run the show.)

Who hired him and why?

Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance confirmed that CZ is officially helping out the new Pakistan Crypto Council.
This group was formed in March 2025 to regulate crypto and blockchain stuff.
Basically, they want to stop watching from the sidelines and start building.

The goal? Create smart rules, attract investors, and tap into the growing Web3 space.

Big goals, small budget

According to Bilal bin Saqib, head of the Crypto Council, Pakistan has big dreams:
Get global investors interested in a cheap market full of skilled workers.
“Pakistan is done sitting on the sidelines,” he told Bloomberg.

That means more jobs, better tech, and a stronger economy—if it works.

Crypto scene in Pakistan: booming and bumpy

Pakistan has a few things going for it:

• Huge population

• Many overseas workers sending money back

• People who actually use crypto—not just hold it for fun

But the country also has issues:

• Black market dollar trades

• Weak rupee

• No real crypto rules… yet

In late 2024, Pakistan saw a jump in official remittances.
Experts think people started avoiding the black market because of a government crackdown.
Instead of shady deals, they sent money through legal channels.

Where Pakistan stands now in crypto

According to Chainalysis, Pakistan is a major player in crypto adoption.
In 2024, it ranked 9th in its region.
That’s pretty solid for a country that just started setting up rules.

Also, stablecoins are a big deal.*
Many people use them to avoid their currency losing value.

(Stablecoins are digital coins tied to real-world money like the U.S. dollar. Think of them as crypto with less drama.)

A KuCoin survey from 2023 said 33% of crypto users in Pakistan were using it to fight inflation.
That’s not hype—that’s survival.