Pakistan is quietly using crypto to open big doors in global politics. Back in January, an important meeting in Islamabad took place involving Zachary Witkoff, the CEO of World Liberty Financial, a crypto platform co-founded by Donald Trump.
In the photos that circulated, Witkoff stood alongside Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the country’s army chief Asim Munir. Standing nearby was Bilal Bin Saqib, a 35-year-old who has suddenly become one of the most talked-about faces in Pakistan’s crypto push.
According to Bloomberg, Saqib, who once worked multiple jobs, even cleaning toilets during college, is now helping shape how Pakistan connects with the world through crypto. At the event, he declared that the visit was helping to “put Pakistan on the map.” He even gave a name to this strategy: “biplomacy,” a mix of Bitcoin and diplomacy.
Who is Bilal Bin Saqib?
Originally from Lahore, Saqib’s journey is anything but typical — from working three jobs during college, including cleaning toilets, to studying at the London School of Economics and building a name in social work. This 35-year-old co-founded a charity to help provide clean drinking water and later launched a Covid-era meal campaign that earned praise from former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and recognition from the British royal family.
His interest in crypto began during Bitcoin’s 2017 surge, though his early years in the space were not smooth. According to Bloomberg, Saqib’s big break came in 2025, when he was brought into Pakistan’s government and quickly handed multiple roles. Soon, he was advising the finance minister on crypto, leading the Pakistan Crypto Council, and eventually heading the country’s virtual assets regulatory authority.
Despite questions around his sudden rise, Saqib describes himself as someone who turns ideas into reality: “I’m a builder. I am the artist, not the scientist.” Since then, he has played one of the most important roles in connecting Pakistan with global crypto heavyweights like Changpeng Zhao and executives from World Liberty Financial, helping position the country as a major player in the digital asset space while also shaping its growing ties with the United States.
From crypto talks to trade deals
Saqib believes crypto has changed everything for Pakistan. “Because of crypto, doors have opened,” he told Bloomberg. “New conversations have opened, trust has been built. We have gotten an opportunity to rebrand.”
One of his early wins was bringing in Changpeng Zhao, also known as CZ, as a strategic adviser to Pakistan’s Crypto Council, even though Zhao had recently completed a prison sentence in the US over compliance failures. He also built close ties with global crypto and finance figures like Cathie Wood, Michael Saylor and Nayib Bukele, who hold a reputation for making Bitcoin legal tender.
But perhaps his most impactful connection has been with World Liberty Financial and its CEO Zachary Witkoff. Saqib briefly served as an adviser to the firm before stepping away when he joined government service. His relationship with the company opened doors at the highest levels, from meetings at Mar-a-Lago to hosting its executives in Islamabad for a stablecoin cooperation agreement.
However, in Pakistan, his influence isn’t just limited to crypto. In one surprising moment, he was pulled from a family vacation and sent to Washington for trade talks, with no preparation and not even a proper suit. By the end of the trip, he had helped shape a trade deal framework.
That deal reduced US tariffs on Pakistani goods to 19%, much lower than what some other countries were facing at the time.