How 35-yr-old ‘crypto bro’, who once cleaned toilets, influenced Trump’s views on Pakistan

A self-described ‘crypto bro’ has helped reshape US President Donald Trump’s views on Pakistan.

Earlier this year, Pakistan’s elite, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir, played host to
Zachary Witkoff, son of US envoy Steve Witkoff and CEO of World Liberty Financial.

Standing nearby was Bilal Bin Saqib, who hailed Witkoff’s visit as helping ‘put Pakistan on the map’. He even coined the term “biplomacy,” a mixture of Bitcoin and diplomacy.

But who is Bilal? What do we know about him?

Let’s take a closer look

Who is he?

As per Financial Express, Saqib is a 35-year-old self-described"crypto bro". Hailing from Lahore, he claims to have worked three jobs to get through college, including cleaning toilets. Saqib studied at the London School of Economics and has done social work.

He established a charity to help provide clean drinking water. During Covid-19, he began a meal-delivery campaign that earned plaudits from former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and recognition from the British royal family.

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His interest in crypto began during Bitcoin’s surge in 2017. Saqib broke through in 2025 when he was inducted into Pakistan’s government and given multiple duties. Saqib found himself advising Pakistan’s finance minister on crypto, leading the Pakistan Crypto Council, and even heading the country’s virtual assets regulatory authority.

How he gained ascendancy within the Pakistan government remains unclear. Asked who approached him to join the government, Saqib would not give specifics, only mentioning it was the Finance Ministry. Queried about his expertise, Saqib said it was “essentially turning an idea into execution.”

“I am not a trader,” he said. “I’m a builder. I am the artist, not the scientist.”

“In crypto, failure is the best teacher,” he said. “There is no formal school for this. And you learn by doing, by making mistakes and getting back up every time.” “One thing I know,” he added, “if you throw enough mud against the wall, something will stick.”

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As per Bloomberg, Saqib has established relationships with crypto bigwigs such as Changpeng Zhao, better known as CZ, the billionaire founder of Binance Holdings Ltd., the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. He has also networked with fund manager Cathie Wood, Bitcoin billionaire Michael Saylor, and Nayib Bukele, El Salvador’s president who made Bitcoin legal tender in 2021 and established a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Fund.

In April 2025, Saqib was named an adviser by World Liberty Financial. Saqib stepped away from that role when he entered government service and was not being paid, said David Wachsman, a spokesman for World Liberty Financial. Last month, Saqib posted a selfie with Zachary Witkoff and other company executives at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.

That came around the same time that Pakistan reached an agreement with the US to revamp the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan, a deal negotiated by Steve Witkoff.

“Because of crypto, doors have opened,” Saqib said in a recent interview. “New conversations have opened, trust has been built. We have gotten an opportunity to rebrand.”

“It’s a lot of serendipity, a lot of good timing,” Saqib concluded. “All the stars have aligned.”

Pakistan, US and crypto

Pakistan has been exploring digital currency projects as it seeks to reduce cash usage and improve cross-border payments such as remittances, a key source of foreign exchange. It sees over $36 billion (Rs 3,398.76 crore) in annual remittance inflows, with an estimated 40 million crypto users and up to $300 billion (Rs 28,323.00 crore) in annual crypto trading volumes, the regulator’s statement said.

Pakistan’s central bank governor said in July it was preparing to launch a pilot for a digital currency and is finalising legislation to regulate virtual assets. The country has signed an agreement with a firm connected to World Liberty Financial, the main crypto business of US President Donald Trump’s family, to explore using World Liberty’s USD1 stablecoin for cross-border payments.

The Pakistan Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority said in a statement that a memorandum of understanding with SC Financial Technologies, a little-known company it described as an “affiliated entity” of World Liberty, would enable “dialogue and technical understanding around emerging digital payment architectures.”

The announcement represents one of the first publicly announced tie-ups linking World Liberty, a crypto-based finance platform launched in September 2024, and a sovereign state. It also comes amid a warming of ties between Pakistan and the United States.

FAQs

1) Who is Bilal Bin Saqib?
Bilal Bin Saqib is a Pakistani entrepreneur and crypto advocate who rose to prominence in 2025 after joining the government as an adviser on digital assets and leading key crypto initiatives.

2) What is “biplomacy”?
“Biplomacy” is a term coined by Saqib, combining Bitcoin and diplomacy, referring to the use of cryptocurrency as a tool for international relations and economic engagement.

3) Why is crypto important for Pakistan?
Pakistan has been exploring digital currency projects as it seeks to reduce cash usage and improve cross-border payments such as remittances, a key source of foreign exchange.

With inputs from agencies