The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is concerned about the Pakistani government’s decision to allocate 2000 megawatts of electricity for bitcoin mining and data center development. It turns out that the country’s government made the decision without consulting the IMF.
The fund has already demanded urgent clarification from the Ministry of Finance on the legality of cryptocurrency mining and electricity distribution, especially in a country that suffers from chronic energy shortages and is close to a financial crisis. Officials also fear that the Pakistani government’s initiative will affect electricity tariffs.
The Pakistani government began changing its stance on cryptocurrencies earlier this year, proposing the creation of a “National Cryptocurrency Council” in February 2025. And in April, one of its advisers was co-founder Binance Changpeng Zhao: The department’s mission is to develop a comprehensive legal framework for digital assets and attract foreign investment.
Among the council’s early proposals were plans to use excess energy to mine bitcoin and run data centers, as well as a national bitcoin reserve, the latter announced at a conference last week. Bitcoin Vegas 2025 Bilal bin Saqib, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Cryptocurrency Issues.
