Pakistan Sets Up Crypto Crime Unit as Licensing Advances

Pakistan is moving to bring digital assets into the formal financial system after creating the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, or PVARA, in July 2025, lifting an eight-year banking ban on crypto and advancing exchange licensing. The country ranked third in Chainalysis’ 2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index, underscoring the scale of retail activity and the need for safeguards against money laundering, terrorism financing and other illicit uses.

The Federal Investigation Agency said on July 21, 2026, that it had established a cryptocurrency investigation unit inside its newly operational National Command and Control Centre, known as NC3. The team will investigate crypto-linked money laundering, terrorism financing, cybercrime and financial fraud. FIA Counter-Terrorism Wing Director Muhammad Athar Waheed said PVARA would retain regulatory oversight, while the licensing drive has already cleared major exchanges including Binance and HTX.