From mining real gold to digital gold

In March 2022, Pakistan made headlines when Mark Bristow signed a landmark agreement to launch the country's largest-ever copper and gold mining project—a symbol of traditional resource extraction. Three years later, in March 2025, a new frontier emerged with the formation of the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC), aiming to mine a different kind of gold: digital. From proposals to use idle electricity for crypto mining to controversial links allegedly aimed at attracting US President Donald Trump's attention, Pakistan's crypto ambitions have taken on a complex and politically charged tone. Currently, cryptocurrencies are banned in Pakistan, as confirmed by officials from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the Ministry of Finance during a recent National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance meeting. The SBP, in multiple statements, has reiterated that trading, holding, or promoting cryptocurrencies violates domestic law.