Latest news with #RobertHines
Arab News
6 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan blockchain chief meets US counterpart amid digital assets adoption push
KARACHI: Pakistan's top blockchain policymaker on Wednesday expressed the country's ambition to become the Global South's leader in digital assets during a meeting with his American counterpart at the White House in Washington. Bilal Bin Saqib, Pakistan's Minister of State for Crypto & Blockchain and CEO of the Pakistan Crypto Council, met with Robert 'Bo' Hines, Executive Director of the US President's Council of Advisers for Digital Assets. The meeting marked a deepening of bilateral engagement on cryptocurrency strategy and blockchain integration between the two countries. In March, Pakistan established the Pakistan Crypto Council to help guide national policy on blockchain, digital currencies, and crypto-related investments. The move followed the government's announcement of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) at the Bitcoin 2025 Conference in Las Vegas — making Pakistan one of the first Asian countries to integrate Bitcoin into its sovereign asset strategy. 'I envision Pakistan to be a leader in the Global South for digital assets,' Saqib said according to a statement circulated after the meeting. 'From launching our Strategic Bitcoin Reserve to unlocking national infrastructure for crypto mining and AI data zones, Pakistan is building a real framework for digital asset adoption and economic modernization.' During the meeting, both officials discussed aligning national strategies on decentralized technologies, fostering regulatory coherence and building innovation ecosystems to promote youth engagement and financial inclusion. Bo Hines, appointed in January by President Donald Trump, heads US policy development on digital assets and works alongside Council Chair David Sacks to position the United States as a global leader in the sector. Saqib also held a separate meeting with officials from the White House Counsel's Office to discuss legal frameworks around blockchain governance. Pakistan's broader digital asset strategy includes allocating 2,000 megawatts of surplus power to support Bitcoin mining and AI-driven data zones, aiming to turn untapped energy into economic productivity, job creation and digital infrastructure growth. As regulatory frameworks continue to evolve globally, Pakistan says it is taking proactive steps to integrate private sector innovation with state policy and international partnerships, positioning itself as a key player in the next phase of the global digital economy.
The Market Online
07-05-2025
- Business
- The Market Online
Consensus, crypto's most influential event, is only one week away
Consensus, dubbed crypto's most influential event, will hold its 2025 conference from May 14-16 at Toronto's Metro Convention Centre, gathering an estimated 15,000 attendees from over 100 countries, plus institutions representing trillions in assets under management, to give shape to the industry's leading edge. The conference, active since 2015, will feature leading minds creating value in blockchain, Web3 and artificial intelligence, with eyes on fostering collaboration at a time of increasing industry interest driven by the United States Bitcoin and digital asset reserve, the worsening crisis of the unbanked, as well as growing retail and institutional adoption unleashed by the Securities and Exchange Commission's legalization of Bitcoin ETFs in 2024. This year's well-rounded agenda includes presentations, panel discussions, a hackathon and a broad selection of side events to flex your networking skills and generate deal flow. Here are the highlights: Notable speakers Dan Morehead, Founder and CEO of Pantera Capital, which manages US$5.7 billion in blockchain-based strategies across passive, hedge and venture, as part of the Crypto OGs Talk Macro panel (May 14). Robert Hines, Executive Director of the President's Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, who will speak about the United States' crypto strategy (May 14). Charles Hoskinson, a co-founder of Ethereum, the second-largest crypto project in the world by market capitalization at over C$294 billion, as well as Cardano, the 10th largest, at almost C$32 billion, in a discussion about the fourth generation of crypto (May 14). Eric Trump, son of United States President Donald Trump, presenting his American Bitcoin venture in partnership with Hut 8 (May 15). Kevin O'Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful, Chairman of O'Leary Ventures and a well-known crypto investor, who will deliver a keynote speech and participate in a discussion about crypto's next chapter (May 15). Dave Portnoy, Founder of Barstool Sports, who will delve into the creation of his digital media empire (May 15). Notable presentations Crypto Lawyer Roundtable: Where Does Crypto Regulation Go From Here? (May 14). Crypto and Credit: A Match Made in Heaven (May 14). The Wealth Managers' State of Affairs: Lessons from Financial Advisors with Years of Experience Managing Crypto in the Portfolio (May 15). The Next Gen of Crypto Trading (May 15). The Next Stage of Evolution for NFTs/Memecoins (May 16). Expanding Crypto Access in a Global Market (May 16). With representatives from Coinbase, BlackRock and Google also expected to attend, Consensus offers unique access to crypto's top power players as digital assets gather momentum towards maturation, commanding a total market capitalization of about C$4 trillion at the time of writing, supported by a multi-industry presence backed by decentralization's value-added use-cases. Whether you're actively adding to your crypto portfolio or considering your first allocation, Consensus represents a holistic offering to begin or continue your due diligence on this burgeoning asset class. Click here to buy your pass. Join the discussion: Find out what everybody's saying about Consensus 2025 on Stockhouse's crypto and blockchain bullboards. The material provided in this article is for information only and should not be treated as investment advice. For full disclaimer information, please click here.
