Pakistan Sets Up Crypto Crime Unit as Exchange Licensing Advances

Pakistan has shifted from restricting cryptocurrency toward federal oversight, reflecting rapid retail adoption and pressure to meet anti-money laundering standards. The Virtual Assets Act, enacted in March 2026, established the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) as the permanent regulator for exchanges, custodians and token issuers. The framework is significant because Pakistan ranked third in Chainalysis’ 2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index, making enforcement and consumer safeguards central to Islamabad’s effort to formalize a large digital-asset market.

On July 21, 2026, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said it had established a dedicated cryptocurrency investigation unit inside its newly operational National Command and Control Centre (NC3). The team will examine suspected use of virtual assets in money laundering and terrorism financing, while PVARA retains regulatory and licensing authority. PVARA is accepting No Objection Certificate applications as the first step toward full licensing; Binance and HTX received NOCs on Dec. 12, 2025, but the complete licensing framework remains under development.