Pakistani crypto expert and trader Waqar Zaka is currently ranked fifth in the ongoing International TradFi Masters Competition, where solo traders from China, South Korea, the United States, Japan, Pakistan, and several other countries are competing using their own money. Unlike demo account contests, this competition requires participants to deploy personal capital and trade independently across multiple global financial markets. TradFi in this context requires traders to operate across both traditional and digital asset classes, including United States equities, foreign exchange, gold, silver, and cryptocurrencies, rather than limiting their strategy to a single asset type.
Under the official rules of the contest, participants must complete a high volume of transactions while executing at least one trade per designated asset category each day. Long-term position holding is restricted, forcing contestants to make continuous active market decisions throughout the event. Overall rankings are determined through a scoring system that evaluates trade quantity, gross profits, and overall risk management discipline. Profitable trades contribute positively to a participant’s score, whereas executed stop losses result in point deductions. The contestant who completes the required qualifying trades, achieves the highest net profit, and minimizes stop loss penalties will secure first place.
The top prize for the competition is a new model Mercedes G Wagon, valued between four hundred thousand and five hundred thousand dollars depending on final specifications. The winning vehicle will be delivered to the champion regardless of their country of residence. According to the latest leaderboard updates, China holds first place, followed by South Korea, the United States, and Japan. Representing Pakistan in fifth place, Zaka continues to compete with six days remaining in the event. This performance follows earlier international finishes, including a ninth-place position among over three thousand global traders and a fifth-place ranking in a previous international contest.
Zaka was among the early figures to introduce cryptocurrency education in Pakistan, producing educational content when Bitcoin was priced around two hundred and sixty-eight dollars. In 2019, he publicly advocated for establishing a national Bitcoin reserve on television, suggesting that a digital Pakistani rupee could be backed by digital assets. He also established a hydroelectric-powered cryptocurrency mining facility to highlight local energy applications for digital asset creation. His regulatory advocacy led him to appear personally before the Sindh High Court, where judicial inquiries directed at the State Bank of Pakistan resulted in a December 2020 legal clarification that cryptocurrency had not been formally declared illegal under state banking notifications.
In addition to market trading and legal advocacy, Zaka used digital assets during humanitarian initiatives in Burma and Syria in 2017 to demonstrate how blockchain networks could facilitate cross-border aid distribution. He was later appointed as a cryptocurrency adviser by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in 2021. Holding a degree in civil engineering from NED University of Engineering and Technology alongside business education from Stanford University, Zaka continues to emphasize probability, statistics, and risk control as foundational requirements for competing in global financial markets.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
