Binance CZ in Islamabad!! It makes more sense when you look at what Pakistan has been doing lately around crypto and digital assets.

Over the past year, Pakistan has softened its stance. The Finance Ministry has talked openly about regulating digital assets rather than shutting them down completely. That alone marks a shift in tone. The State Bank of Pakistan has also acknowledged the need to regulate crypto activity given how large the local user base already is. According to multiple global adoption reports, Pakistan consistently ranks among the top countries for grassroots crypto usage, driven by remittances, inflation pressure, and a young, mobile first population.

There have also been concrete institutional moves. At the same time, government IT and telecom agencies have been looking into blockchain for things like records and transparency. It is not about trading coins yet, it is about testing the tech. More importantly, discussions around licensing exchanges, AML standards, and consumer protection have started to appear in official statements. This is a clear shift from earlier years when the tone was mostly defensive.

Against that backdrop, CZ’s presence in Islamabad doesn’t look symbolic. When the founder of the world’s largest exchange shows up, it usually means talks around compliance, regulation, and long term market access are happening behind closed doors. Pakistan is not being pitched as a speculative playground, but as a serious emerging market with scale.

None of this means crypto is suddenly legal or that policy is about to flip overnight. If anything, regulation in Pakistan is likely to move slowly and come with tight controls. But the direction is changing. From ignoring crypto to actively figuring out how to manage it, Pakistan is moving closer to formal participation in the global digital asset economy. And visits like this usually happen before those shifts become public policy.