IMF Questions Pakistan’s Bitcoin Mining Power Plan, Demands Urgent Clarification of Legality

Mars Finance News, on May 31, according to Cointelegraph, the Pakistani government plans to reserve 2,000 megawatts of electricity for Bit mining and AI data centers, equivalent to the annual capacity of 2 large power plants. The IMF (International Monetary Fund) has requested the Pakistani Ministry of Finance to explain the legality of crypto mining and electricity allocation policies without prior consultation, which may complicate the ongoing negotiations for Pakistan's $30 billion expansion loan plan. On May 21, the Pakistani Ministry of Finance approved the establishment of the Pakistan Digital Asset Management Authority (PDAA), intending to regulate trading platforms, stablecoins, and DeFi platforms in accordance with FATF standards. The Prime Minister's crypto advisor, Bilal bin Saqib, announced the establishment of a national Bit strategic reserve at the Bitcoin 2025 conference last week. Pakistan had already established a national crypto committee in February 2025 and appointed Binance co-founder CZ as an advisor in April.