The Pakistani crypto jurisprudence ruling sparks controversy over the regulatory framework for digital assets
After a meeting with Islamic scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani, Bilal bin Saqib, the chairman of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, stated that stablecoins, tokenized RWA, and other blockchain products should undergo separate technical and Islamic law assessments and should not be regarded as the same category.Previously, scholars including Usmani issued a fatwa declaring that USDT and other cryptocurrencies do not constitute wealth recognized by Islamic law, rendering transactions for purchasing physical goods or digital services invalid. Pakistan passed the Virtual Assets Act in March of this year, requiring exchanges, custodians, and token issuers to ensure compliance with Islamic law under the guidance of an Islamic finance scholars committee. At the same time, the country is advancing sovereign stablecoins, national asset tokenization, and licensing for cryptocurrency trading platforms.