Pakistan to Use Surplus Electricity for Bitcoin Mining and AI Centers
Pakistan plans to turn its chronic electricity surplus and transition to renewable energy into a strategic opportunity by dedicating the excess resource to two high-potential sectors: Bitcoin mining and AI data centers.
The Pakistan Crypto Council, led by Bilal Bin Saqib and recently joined by CZ from Binance, is spearheading this strategy to make the country a global leader in blockchain and decentralized finance.
Despite the unclear regulatory framework, Pakistan is among the top ten countries in terms of crypto adoption and is preparing legal experimentation zones to attract investors.
Mining Bitcoin with Pakistan’s Electricity Surplus
Pakistan is poised to transform a structural issue into a strategic opportunity. Faced with a chronic electricity surplus and a shift towards renewables, the country is considering using this excess resource in two high-potential sectors: Bitcoin mining and AI data centers.
A Initiative Driven by the Pakistan Crypto Council
Behind this initiative, the newly founded Pakistan Crypto Council embodies the country’s renewed ambition in the blockchain field. Its president, Bilal Bin Saqib, who is also an advisor to the Finance Minister, has stated that discussions with several mining companies have been initiated. The objective is to establish infrastructure in areas where energy supply exceeds demand in order to make use of this unused electricity while creating new sources of revenue.
This strategy aims to offset the negative effects of high electricity tariffs and underutilization of production facilities, particularly in rural areas and regions with solar or wind farms. A precise mapping of energy availability is currently underway to determine the best locations for implementation.
A Geopolitical Ambition for Crypto
Beyond energy exploitation, the Pakistan Crypto Council is part of a larger strategy for geopolitical positioning. The country aims to catch up in terms of regulations and become a major player in decentralized finance. Bilal Bin Saqib states:
Pakistan no longer wants to be a mere spectator. We want to become the global leader in blockchain-based finance.
The recent appointment of Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao, founder of Binance, as a strategic advisor to the Pakistan Crypto Council reinforces the project’s credibility. CZ had previously stated that he was working, officially or unofficially, with several governments to build regulatory frameworks suited to blockchain and improve administrative efficiency through these technologies.
A Demanding Ecosystem Despite Regulatory Uncertainty
Paradoxically, Pakistan is already among the top ten countries with the highest cryptocurrency adoption rates, despite the lack of clear legal framework. The Council plans to establish regulatory sandboxes to test innovative solutions in a controlled environment while attracting foreign investors.
This dynamic is also supported by the international context, marked by Donald Trump’s return to the presidency of the United States and his declared intention to make the US the global leader in digital assets. Pakistan seeks to position itself in this new global landscape by accelerating the transition to a sovereign and connected digital economy.
