May 27, 2025
By Our Correspondent
2,000 megawatts of surplus electricity have been set aside by Pakistan specifically for artificial intelligence and Bitcoin mining facilities.
According to a May 25 article by local news outlet 24NewsHD TV Channel, the action is a component of a larger digital transformation initiative led by the Pakistan Crypto Council and supported by the Ministry of Finance.
The government intends to use surplus energy for crypto mining and AI infrastructure in the first phase. According to Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, the decision is anticipated to create high-tech jobs nationwide and draw billions of dollars in international investment.
In order to strike a balance between environmental responsibility and growth, the initiative’s second phase will provide mining enterprises with access to renewable energy.
International Bitcoin BTC $109,656 miners and AI companies have already shown interest, according to the study. Several international delegations have traveled to Pakistan in recent months to look at possible collaborations, officials acknowledged.
The Ministry of Finance offered a package of tax benefits for AI centers and duty exemptions for Bitcoin miners in an effort to further encourage investment.
The CEO of Pakistan’s Crypto Council, Bilal Bin Saqib, reportedly praised the move and referred to it as a “turning point” for the nation’s digital economy.
According to Saqib, Pakistan might become a major force in the global AI and cryptocurrency industries with transparent rules.
At the first meeting of the Crypto Council on March 21, Saqib originally suggested harnessing the nation’s runoff energy to power Bitcoin mining.
Lawmakers, the governor of the Bank of Pakistan, the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SECP) of Pakistan, and the federal information technology secretary were present at the meeting.
The establishment of a specialized organization to oversee blockchain-based financial infrastructure in Pakistan was approved by the Ministry of Finance on May 21.
Exchanges, custodians, wallets, tokenized platforms, stablecoins, and decentralized financial applications will all be subject to license and regulation by the Pakistan Digital Assets Authority (PDAA).
In addition, the PDAA will be responsible for tokenizing government debt and national assets, enabling the monetization of Pakistan’s excess electricity through controlled Bitcoin mining, and assisting entrepreneurs in developing blockchain-based solutions on a large scale.
Pakistan came in ninth place on Chainalysis’ 2024 crypto adoption index, primarily as a result of robust retail adoption and centralized service transactions.
