The Higher Education Commission (HEC) is preparing to introduce specialized courses covering cryptocurrency, blockchain technology and digital asset management in Pakistani universities. However, the proposed education and skills development program has yet to move forward as HEC is still awaiting policy direction from the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication.
The matter was raised in the National Assembly in connection with Pakistan’s emerging regulatory framework for virtual assets. The government stated that the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) has been established under the Virtual Assets Act, 2026 to regulate virtual asset service providers, promote responsible innovation and ensure compliance with financial, anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing requirements.
The government has also introduced a regulatory sandbox through which eligible blockchain and virtual asset businesses can test products, services and business models under regulatory supervision. PVARA has already initiated a sandbox focused on asset reference tokenisation, while regulations for virtual asset service providers and an activity-specific handbook have also been developed and submitted for consultation.
On the education side, HEC has not yet launched a dedicated collaborative program with the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) for digital asset management. HEC stated that it requires policy direction from the IT Ministry before developing a coordinated program with NAVTTC. Universities, however, can introduce relevant programs, specializations and interdisciplinary courses through existing HEC curriculum and approval mechanisms.
The development comes as Pakistan continues to establish a formal framework for cryptocurrency, blockchain and other virtual assets. While regulatory infrastructure is progressing, specialized academic and workforce training at the national level remains dependent on further policy direction, potentially creating a pathway for universities to expand education in emerging digital asset technologies.
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