365Crypto
Pakistan is looking to learn from El Salvador’s bold Bitcoin experiment.
Bilal Bin Saqib, head of Pakistan’s Crypto Council and special assistant to the Prime Minister, traveled to San Salvador this week. His goal? Strengthen ties with El Salvador’s Bitcoin-loving president Nayib Bukele.
Saqib praised Bukele as a rare visionary in politics. “He’s the kind of leader who saw the future before anyone else,” Saqib said after the meeting. “It’s not about having resources, it’s about having vision and belief.”
El Salvador’s Bitcoin stash now holds more than 6,240 BTC. That’s worth roughly $740 million. Bukele hasn’t let IMF warnings stop him from stacking more.
Pakistan’s Crypto Council and El Salvador’s Bitcoin Office signed a Letter of Intent. This deal focuses on sharing ideas around Bitcoin for government, inclusion, and new financial policies.
Pakistan’s government is eyeing crypto adoption as part of its push into the digital economy. The country’s $7 billion IMF loan ends in 2027. Officials hope Bitcoin might help reshape Pakistan’s financial future.
The meeting follows a separate virtual chat between Pakistan’s Finance Minister, Bilal Bin Saqib, and Michael Saylor — the Bitcoin mega-bull behind Strategy, which holds $62 billion in Bitcoin reserves.
Not everyone’s thrilled, though. The IMF just shot down Pakistan’s proposal to use its excess electricity for crypto mining.
Pakistan wanted to power Bitcoin mining and AI centers using 2,000 megawatts of extra energy, especially during winter. The IMF says giving discounted energy to miners would mess up market prices.
