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In a remarkable reflection of Pakistan’s expanding influence in the global digital-asset landscape, The Wall Street Journal’s investigative report from October 31, 2025, titled “How a Billionaire Felon Boosted Trump’s Crypto Company en Route to a Pardon,” features Minister of State for Crypto & Blockchain Bilal Bin Saqib among a select group of international leaders shaping the future of cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and financial diplomacy.
The WSJ highlights Saqib 11 times, showcasing the publication’s intense focus on his role at the crossroads of geopolitics, technology, and digital finance.
The article pairs Saqib with some of the most prominent names in the crypto world—Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), members of the Trump family, and major Emirati investors—depicting him as a new kind of diplomat for the blockchain age.
Described as a “world-trotting ambassador for global liberty,” Saqib is recognized for leading Pakistan’s State Crypto Council and serving as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Crypto and Blockchain, emphasizing his efforts to connect the country’s emerging crypto and AI sectors with international partners.
According to the WSJ, Saqib attended a private Binance summit in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, where he met with Binance founder Changpeng Zhao and Zach Witkoff, an associate of the Trump family, to showcase Pakistan’s growing crypto sector on the global stage. Weeks later, Zhao and Saqib regrouped in Lahore with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, during which Saqib praised Zhao as embodying “a movement” and discussed the nation’s digital finance strategies.
The publication confirms that Saqib facilitated a deal between Pakistan’s government and World Liberty Financial, a US-based crypto firm partly owned by the Trump family, marking one of Pakistan’s first direct collaborations with a major Western crypto enterprise.
Since his appointment in May 2025, Saqib has played a pivotal role in shaping Pakistan’s new crypto regulations. Under his guidance, Binance is expected to secure one of the country’s initial crypto exchange licenses, marking a significant step toward formalizing Pakistan’s blockchain economy.
The WSJ also notes Saqib’s work with World Liberty to craft policies for exporting stablecoin systems to other nations, cementing his status as an international thought leader.
An analyst observed, “A Pakistani name now features prominently in The Wall Street Journal’s coverage of the world’s leading crypto power brokers—not just as a bystander, but as a strategic player influencing global deals.”
Under Saqib’s leadership, Pakistan has transitioned swiftly from a promising but high-potential frontier market into one of the top three fastest-growing crypto economies worldwide. The country attracts major global exchanges, institutional investors, and mining companies eager to operate within a clearly regulated South Asian market.
Most recently, Saqib participated in the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh, engaging with global luminaries such as the CEO of JP Morgan, Ripple’s leadership, Google’s former CEO, Reddit’s founder, and the Prime Minister of Albania. During these events, he emphasized Pakistan’s rising significance as a forward-looking hub for emerging technologies like crypto, blockchain, and AI, reinforcing the country’s position on the world stage.
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