A high-stakes cryptocurrency deal in Pakistan has stirred significant controversy across geopolitical circles, owing to its links with the Trump family and the direct involvement of Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir.
The agreement, inked between the newly formed Pakistan Crypto Council and the US-based fintech firm World Liberty Financial, is now under intense scrutiny in both New Delhi and Washington.
World Liberty Financial, the US-based crypto firm at the center of this deal, has deep familial ties with former US President Donald Trump.
The majority of the firm’s shares—an estimated 60 per cent—are held by Trump’s sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., along with his son-in-law Jared Kushner. The company specializes in blockchain investment and cryptocurrency infrastructure development.
In April 2025, shortly after the establishment of the Pakistan Crypto Council, World Liberty Financial signed a Letter of Intent to bring blockchain integration and crypto innovation to Pakistan’s financial sector.
The council, eager to establish credibility, appointed Binance founder Changpeng Zhao as an adviser, signaling an aggressive push to position Islamabad as the “crypto capital of South Asia.”
What makes the deal particularly contentious is the personal welcome extended by Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Asim Munir, to the visiting US delegation.
The delegation, led by World Liberty Financial founder Zachary Witkoff—son of Trump’s longtime business ally and current US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff—was also granted an exclusive closed-door meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Munir.
This unusually high-level involvement by Pakistan’s military establishment has sparked questions about potential strategic undertones. Although no direct link to national security has been disclosed, intelligence sources in India suggest that the partnership’s opaque financial structure may hint at broader political motives.
According to joint statements from both parties, the agreement aims to integrate blockchain technology into Pakistan’s financial institutions. Key goals include asset tokenisation, the creation of new stablecoins, and the establishment of decentralized finance (DeFi) sandboxes for pilot projects.
These moves are positioned under the umbrella of enhancing “financial inclusion and digital transformation” in the country.
The deal has come under even sharper focus following the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, and India’s swift military response under Operation Sindoor.
While World Liberty Financial has since issued a press statement denying any political motives, the silence from Trump’s family and the White House has only deepened suspicion.
A report from Firstpost highlighted how strategic experts in New Delhi view the partnership as an “opaque financial alliance with serious political overtones,” calling for closer monitoring of foreign investment in sensitive sectors in the region.
As scrutiny intensifies, the deal is likely to remain a focal point of geopolitical discourse in the months to come.
