In a milestone for Pakistan’s digital-asset sector, The Wall Street Journal’s 31 October 2025 feature, “How a Billionaire Felon Boosted Trump’s Crypto Company en Route to a Pardon,” highlights Minister of State for Crypto & Blockchain Bilal Bin Saqib as one of the global figures shaping crypto, AI, and financial diplomacy.
The WSJ mentions Saqib 11 times, underscoring his pivotal role at the intersection of geopolitics, technology, and digital finance.
The article places Saqib alongside prominent names such as Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), members of the Trump family, and leading Emirati investors, portraying him as a “globe-trotting ambassador for World Liberty” and a statesman for the blockchain era.
As head of Pakistan’s State Crypto Council and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Crypto and Blockchain, Saqib has been instrumental in connecting global partners with Pakistan’s emerging crypto and AI ecosystem.
The WSJ reports that Saqib met Zhao and Trump associate Zach Witkoff at a private Binance summit in Abu Dhabi and later in Lahore with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, where they discussed Pakistan’s digital finance roadmap.
Saqib also facilitated an agreement between Pakistan and US-based World Liberty Financial, marking one of the country’s first collaborations with a major Western crypto venture.
Appointed in May 2025, Saqib has driven Pakistan’s new crypto regulatory framework. Under his oversight, Binance is expected to receive one of Pakistan’s first crypto-exchange licenses, formalizing the country’s blockchain economy. He has also worked on policy frameworks to export stablecoin systems internationally.
Saqib’s appearances at global forums such as the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, alongside leaders from JP Morgan, Ripple, Google, and Reddit, have further positioned Pakistan as a serious hub for crypto, blockchain, and AI innovation.
Analysts note that his recognition in the WSJ signals Pakistan’s transformation from a frontier market to one of the fastest-growing crypto economies, asserting strategic influence in the global digital economy.
