Pakistan has signed a new agreement to explore the use of a digital dollar for international payments. The deal is linked to World Liberty Financial, a crypto platform backed by the family of US President Donald Trump. Reuters reported the development on Wednesday, citing a source involved in the agreement.
This is one of the first known partnerships between World Liberty Financial and a national government. It comes at a time when relations between Pakistan and the United States appear to be improving, both diplomatically and economically.
Under the agreement, World Liberty Financial will work with Pakistan’s central bank. The goal is to test the use of its dollar pegged stablecoin, called USD1, for cross border payments. The project will operate inside a regulated digital payments system.
The stablecoin is expected to work alongside Pakistan’s own digital currency plans. This will allow authorities to see how blockchain based payments function within official financial rules rather than outside them.
According to the source, the deal was signed with SC Financial Technologies. This is a relatively unknown company but is connected to World Liberty Financial. No technical or commercial details have been made public yet.
Pakistan is expected to officially announce the partnership later today. The announcement will take place during a visit by World Liberty’s chief executive officer, Zach Witkoff, to Islamabad. So far, neither Pakistan’s finance ministry nor World Liberty Financial has commented on how long the project will run or when it could go live.
World Liberty Financial was launched in September 2024. It has grown quickly in the stablecoin market. Its rise has been helped by a more crypto friendly environment in the United States under President Trump.
Stablecoins have become more popular worldwide in recent years. These digital tokens are usually tied to traditional currencies like the US dollar. Supporters say they make international payments faster and cheaper than banks. Critics warn they could create risks if not properly regulated.
The US government has recently introduced federal rules that support the crypto industry. This has pushed other countries to explore how stablecoins could fit into their own financial systems.
In May last year, a state backed investment firm from Abu Dhabi used World Liberty’s stablecoin to buy a $2bn stake in Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange. World Liberty’s growth has also increased income for the Trump family’s business interests, including from overseas sources.
Pakistan has been actively looking at digital finance solutions. The country wants to reduce its reliance on cash and make cross border payments more efficient. Remittances are especially important for Pakistan’s economy.
In July, the central bank said it was preparing to launch a pilot digital currency. It also said new laws to regulate virtual assets were being finalised.
These efforts come after years of economic pressure. Pakistan has struggled with high inflation, low foreign exchange reserves, and political instability. The country narrowly avoided a sovereign default in 2023.
Experts say long term problems like weak investment, slow bureaucracy, and dependence on remittances have damaged trust in traditional finance. This has made digital alternatives more attractive.
Crypto adoption in Pakistan has picked up speed. In March 2025, the government created the Pakistan Crypto Council. The council oversees blockchain and digital asset integration and is led by finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.
In April, the council appointed former Binance chief executive Changpeng Zhao as a strategic adviser. In May, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif gave minister level status to Bilal Bin Saqib, the council’s chief executive.
The same month, Pakistan announced its first state backed Strategic Bitcoin Reserve at a crypto event in the United States. It also revealed plans to use 2,000 megawatts of extra electricity for bitcoin mining and AI data centres.
Crypto was illegal in Pakistan until recently. Officials say these new steps are meant to attract foreign investment and connect Pakistan with the global crypto economy.