Billionaire Michael Saylor Offers Crypto Advice to Pakistan Amid Economic Challenges

Michael Saylor, a prominent U.S. billionaire and Bitcoin advocate, has offered to advise Pakistan on its crypto policy and attract global investment. This move comes as Pakistan aims to strengthen its economy through the strategic use of cryptocurrency. Saylor met with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and State Minister for Blockchain and Crypto, Bilal Bin Saqib, in Islamabad. The discussion was described as a landmark moment for Pakistan’s crypto journey, with Saylor praising the country’s vision and potential to show intellectual leadership to the rest of the world.

Saylor highlighted that when markets trust a leader, they bring in money, much like his company, MicroStrategy, which saw massive growth after investing in Bitcoin. MicroStrategy now holds around 582,000 BTC, valued at over $62 billion as of June 2025, and its market cap has skyrocketed from $1.2 billion to over $105 billion since 2020. Saylor’s involvement is seen as a significant boost for Pakistan’s 40 million crypto users, who are hopeful about the country’s digital currency ambitions.

Pakistan has already made significant strides in its crypto journey. In March, the country launched the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) to help build crypto laws. In April, it introduced its first-ever crypto policy 2025, designed to meet global compliance standards such as those set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The government is also fast-tracking legislation drafted by the PCC. Saqib, who heads the council, revealed plans to set up a national Bitcoin reserve, signaling Pakistan’s commitment to becoming a crypto-forward economy. Saylor encouraged this idea, suggesting that a Bitcoin reserve could help Pakistan stand out as a forward-thinking nation.

Despite facing substantial economic challenges, Pakistan is determined to leverage digital currencies to bolster its economy. The country’s real economy is in a deep slump, with macroeconomic indicators showing stability but a severe decline in rural incomes and little success in increasing exports. This has led to poor growth in manufacturing and a slowdown in the services sector, which makes up nearly 60% of the GDP. Overall economic growth is dismal at around 2.5%, far below the 6.5% needed to absorb the increase in the labor force and reduce high levels of poverty, which have risen dramatically post-Covid to near 50%.

The government has managed to stabilize the economy, avoiding the threat of default with current reserves, a stable exchange rate, a current account surplus due to a surge in remittances, and inflation at an all-time low. However, the stabilization measures have come at a cost, with a drastic contraction of the real economy. The sequencing of these measures and economic reforms by policymakers has been criticized for being poorly executed, with a notable example being the removal of the wheat support price, which left farmers suffering huge losses.

The future of Pakistan's economy under IMF tutelage remains uncertain. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has emphasized the need for economic reforms to root out inefficiencies and inequalities, but the budget speech lacked concrete measures to achieve this. The government has promised tariff reforms, privatization of state-owned enterprises, and a focus on the digital economy, but these steps have been tried before with little success. The budget also included relief for the real estate sector and traders, but little for the working poor. Key issues related to investment in people, such as health, education, and social protection, were mentioned but not adequately addressed.

Saylor's involvement in Pakistan's crypto mission is a significant development. As a pioneer in the Bitcoin space, Saylor's expertise and advice could provide valuable insights into how digital currencies can be integrated into Pakistan's economic strategy. His advocacy for the cryptocurrency could help Pakistan explore new avenues for economic growth. Saylor's participation in these discussions underscores the growing interest in digital currencies as a potential solution to economic challenges, and his offer to advise on Bitcoin strategy could be a game-changer for Pakistan's ambitions to become a global crypto leader.