Pakistan Lifts 8-Year Crypto Banking Ban Following Trump Family, Binance Deals
Banks in Pakistan can now provide services to registered crypto firms—but not trade crypto themselves—after a 2018 ban was rescinded.
By Sander LutzEdited by Andrew HaywardApr 15, 2026Apr 15, 20262 min read
In brief
- Pakistan lifted an 8-year ban on crypto banking, allowing financial institutions to serve registered crypto firms.
- Banks can support crypto companies, but cannot trade or hold digital assets themselves.
- The shift follows partnerships with World Liberty Financial and Binance to expand crypto adoption in Pakistan.
Eight years after banning all banks from providing crypto services, Pakistan has officially greenlit the practice—a move poised to quickly facilitate the adoption of digital assets in the world’s fifth-most populous country.
In a letter issued this week, Pakistan’s central bank formally rescinded its prior crypto restrictions, which were instituted in 2018. The new pro-crypto policy is in line with the nation’s Virtual Assets Act of 2026, a regulatory framework for the industry that was enacted last month.
Per the State Bank of Pakistan’s new rules, banks are now permitted to provide banking services to registered crypto companies dubbed Virtual Asset Service Providers, or VASPs. VASP funds must be kept isolated—and not commingled—from the banks’ standard client accounts.
Banks will be responsible for monitoring their new crypto clients and ensuring they do not run afoul of Pakistani regulations related to money laundering prevention and risk protection.
The banks themselves will not, however, be allowed to trade, invest, or hold crypto, with either their own funds or customer deposits.
Pakistan’s pivot on crypto comes after the country has made significant inroads with some of the digital asset industry’s most powerful players, including the Trump family. Weeks after President Donald Trump’s return to power last year, leaders of his family’s crypto firm, World Liberty Financial, flew to Islamabad to meet with Pakistan’s prime minister.
Weeks later, Pakistan’s leadership issued an ordinance to begin the process of establishing a national crypto regulatory framework. After the regulator was spun up, the country signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with World Liberty Financial.
The partnership will involve the Trump family’s dollar-pegged stablecoin, USD1, and focus at least at first on cross-border payments.
Pakistan has also signed an agreement with crypto exchange Binance—another firm with connections to the Trump family—that could see the nation tokenize some $2 billion in assets.
