NEW DELHI– A new report has revealed troubling details about a cryptocurrency deal connecting the Trump family’s financial venture to Pakistan’s military-linked funds, raising alarms over money laundering and terror-financing risks.
According to a detailed investigation by DisInfo Lab, the arrangement goes far beyond normal diplomacy, placing the Trump family enterprise, World Liberty Financial (WLF), at the center of Pakistan’s crypto push.
At the heart of the pact is Bilal bin Saqib, a British-Pakistani entrepreneur who serves both as CEO of Pakistan’s new Crypto Council (PCC) and as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Blockchain. Just weeks before the Pakistan-WLF deal was signed on April 26, Bilal had been appointed an advisor to WLF, which counts Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Jared Kushner as major stakeholders. Former President Donald Trump is listed as “co-founder emeritus.”
The dual role positioned Bilal to advance Islamabad’s crypto agenda while also promoting the Trump family’s venture. By June, he had met with U.S. lawmakers and political figures, including Senators Cynthia Lummis and Bill Hagerty, White House advisers, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, pitching Pakistan’s “crypto vision.”
DisInfo Lab alleges that the partnership “opened avenues for money laundering and even gave impetus to terror-funding,” with Binance playing a central role. Binance, long dogged by accusations of enabling illicit finance, has faced multiple international fines and in 2023 paid $4.3 billion in penalties to U.S. authorities after admitting to funneling funds to Hamas, al-Qaeda, and ISIS, and violating sanctions against Iran. Its founder, Changpeng Zhao (CZ), served a prison sentence for money laundering but recently resurfaced as “Strategic Advisor” to Pakistan’s Crypto Council.
The report highlights that Binance maintains business ties in China despite publicly distancing itself, raising further concerns over Beijing’s indirect influence.
DisInfo Lab also scrutinized Bilal’s network of companies, many of which appear to be shell entities lacking transparency. His sister, Minahil, controls a majority stake in Tayaba UK, which partners with Al Mustafa Trust — described as a military slush fund linked to Pakistan’s armed forces.
The report argues that this “crypto diplomacy” has coincided with a marked upswing in U.S.-Pakistan engagement. Since the pact’s formalization in May 2025, Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir has visited Washington twice, several new agreements have been signed, and Islamabad even nominated Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The convergence of Trump’s family-run crypto firm, Pakistan’s military-controlled financial channels, and Binance’s controversial legacy has fueled questions about whether this alliance represents innovation in digital finance — or a shadowy arrangement with global security implications. (Source: IANS)
