Call for a single industry voice
Asia Web3 Alliance Japan (AWAJ) president Hinza Asif has urged Pakistan to create a unified industry representative body to protect Pakistan crypto investors and to coordinate more effectively with international cryptocurrency exchanges. Speaking in a statement issued from Islamabad, she said the country’s fast-growing digital asset market still has no organised way to speak for stakeholders when a major cybersecurity or financial incident hits a global platform.
Her appeal followed reports of a multibillion-dollar cybersecurity incident involving Binance. Ms Asif said such breaches at large exchanges can lead to financial losses, unauthorised transactions and disrupted withdrawals, which can shake investor confidence. She stressed that the scale of the reported incident and any effect on Pakistani users remain unclear and need independent verification.
Gaps in data and complaint handling
According to Ms Asif, Pakistan’s crypto market lacks verified investor data and an established channel to collect complaints or talk to international exchanges in a crisis. “The question is who will represent and protect Pakistani investors if an international exchange faces a major cybersecurity or financial crisis,” she said.
She pointed to Pakistan’s third-place ranking in the Chainalysis 2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index as a sign of how widely digital assets are used. Market estimates put crypto-linked accounts at around 40 million and digital asset exposure between $10 billion and $20 billion. Those numbers, she noted, have not been officially confirmed as counts of individual investors.
Regulator and industry roles
Ms Asif welcomed government moves through the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), the body set up to oversee virtual assets within its legal mandate. She argued that PVARA and an independent industry association would work side by side: the regulator on rules and compliance, the association as a platform for fintech firms, blockchain businesses, technology professionals and investors to raise concerns with policymakers.
She also called for a national digital finance platform backed by reliable market research, coordinated investor grievance systems, cybersecurity awareness and formal ties with international industry groups. Digital finance in Pakistan, she said, goes beyond trading coins to blockchain applications, digital payments, fintech entrepreneurship and foreign investment. With more than 11 years of international market experience in Japan, she has worked through AWAJ on technology partnerships, startups and links with Japanese corporations, banks and venture capital firms.
“Pakistan cannot afford to wait for a major financial crisis before establishing the necessary mechanisms for investor protection and institutional coordination,” she said.
Aasan alfaaz mein
AWAJ ki sadr Hinza Asif ne kaha hai ke Pakistan mein crypto investors ke liye aik munazzam industry body honi chahiye. International exchange par cyber attack ho to abhi koi clear system nahi jo Pakistani users ki shikayat le aur unki baat kare. Binance wale reported incident ka asar Pakistan par abhi clear nahi, is ki alag se jaanch darkaar hai. Agar aap digital assets rakhte hain, to behtar hifaazat aur shikayat ka raasta aap ke paise ke liye zaroori hai.
