By Nasir Siddiqui Touchwood, Dubai
You have probably heard the news: Pakistan is taking serious steps to legalise and regulate cryptocurrency. For many of you, that might sound like something only tech experts or stock market players need to care about. But the truth is, this decision will touch the life of almost every Pakistani family — especially those who have a loved one working abroad, and those who dream of owning a piece of land or a house back home.
Let me explain, in the simplest way I can, what is about to change. And then I will walk you through exactly what it means for Pakistan’s property market, because that is my field of work and where I see the biggest impact coming.
First, Understand the Problem We Have Right Now
At this moment, millions of Pakistanis are working in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Europe, and America. They do tough jobs, earn hard money, and send a big chunk of it home every month. In fact, Pakistan receives more than $30 billion every year in remittances. This money feeds families, pays school fees, builds houses, and keeps the country’s economy breathing.
But the system used to send this money is old and painful. A hardworking labourer in Dubai who wants to send Rs 100,000 to his family in Gujranwala has to go through banks or money exchange companies. He loses a good amount in transfer fees and poor exchange rates — often 6 to 7 rupees out of every 100 just disappear. The transfer takes two, three, sometimes four days. If there is an emergency at home, the family waits. And because the process is complicated, many people turn to informal methods like hundi and hawala, which are fast but completely undocumented and sometimes risky.
Now, imagine something different.
What Changes When Crypto and Stablecoins Become Legal and Regulated
Cryptocurrency is not just about Bitcoin going up and down in price. For remittances, the real hero is something called a stablecoin. Think of it as a digital dollar. One stablecoin equals one US dollar, always. It lives on a digital network that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
When the government regulates this properly, this is what happens:
· A worker in Dubai or London buys a dollar stablecoin through a government-approved app or exchange. It takes seconds.
· He sends that stablecoin directly to his family’s regulated wallet in Pakistan. The transfer completes in one or two minutes — not days.
· The fee? A fraction of what banks charge. Maybe Rs 50 or Rs 100 on a Rs 100,000 transaction, instead of thousands.
· The family in Pakistan converts the stablecoin into Pakistani rupees through a licensed exchange, at a transparent market rate. The money lands in their mobile wallet or bank account.
That is the future. And it is not a distant fantasy. This technology is already working in countries like the UAE, Singapore, and parts of Europe. Pakistan is now preparing to join them.
Why the Total Amount of Money Sent Home Will Increase
This part is very important and often missed. When you make something cheaper, easier and faster, people use it more.
Think about it. If Ali bhai in Saudi Arabia currently sends 40 per cent of his salary home because a chunk gets eaten by fees, he might start sending 50 or 60 per cent when those fees nearly disappear. If the process takes two minutes instead of two days, he might send smaller amounts more often — a quick transfer for a relative’s wedding, for an unexpected medical bill, for a child’s exam fee. The flow of money becomes steady, not a once-a-month event.
Economists have a term for this: lower friction leads to higher flow. The result is that Pakistan’s remittance numbers will not just stay at $30 billion. They could rise to $35 billion, $40 billion, or beyond, not because more people left the country, but because every single person working abroad can now send more, faster, with less wastage.
Also, a huge amount of money that currently travels through hundi will come into the formal, regulated system. When the legal route is just as fast and cheaper, why would anyone use the underground route? This gives the State Bank of Pakistan a much clearer picture of money coming in, which helps stabilise the rupee and strengthens the country’s foreign reserves.
Now, Let Us Talk About Property. This Is Where It Gets Really Interesting.
For generations, overseas Pakistanis have poured their savings into land and houses at home. A plot in DHA Karachi, a flat in Bahria Town Lahore, a small shop in Rawalpindi — this is what security looks like for millions of families. The property market and remittances have always been deeply connected. What changes now is the speed, ease, and volume of that connection.
I will break down exactly how the real estate market in Pakistan will feel this change.
1. More Money Will Chase Property
When remittances rise, the first thing many families do is buy or build property. It is in our blood. A labourer who has been saving for years to build a small home in his village suddenly finds he can send extra Rs 20,000 or Rs 30,000 every month without losing a chunk to bank fees. That extra money goes straight into construction. Multiply this by hundreds of thousands of families, and the effect is enormous.
On the other end of the scale, a successful businessman in London who was hesitant to invest in a Lahore commercial plaza because the transfer process was slow and expensive now sees that the same transaction can be done in a day with minimal cost. He becomes a regular investor. The pool of active buyers expands at every income level.
2. Buying Property from Abroad Will Become Shockingly Easy
At present, buying property in Pakistan while living overseas is a headache. You have to wire money, wait for clearance, coordinate with family members on the ground, and deal with paperwork that often requires your physical presence. Even the Roshan Digital Account, which was a great step forward, still involves bank processing times and transfer delays.
With regulated stablecoins, the experience changes completely. Picture this:
You are sitting in your apartment in Dubai, scrolling through property listings in Islamabad on your phone. You find a 5-marla plot in a gated community that fits your budget. You speak to the dealer, verify the documents online, and agree on a price. You open your regulated crypto app and send the exact amount in dollar-backed stablecoins to the developer’s verified wallet. The money arrives in minutes. The developer confirms receipt instantly, and you receive a digital proof of payment that cannot be faked or tampered with. The whole thing takes less than an hour.
No bank delays. No trips to the embassy. No nagging your cousin to go to the property office on your behalf. This is not a dream. I have seen similar processes working in Dubai. Pakistan will catch up quickly.
3. The Demand Will Spread Across the Whole Country, and Islamabad Will Be a Star Performer
Naturally, the most popular cities will feel the strongest pull. Karachi and Lahore will always be major magnets. But the city where I expect the most noticeable and sustained impact is Islamabad. Let me explain why in some detail, because if you are thinking of where to put your money, this matters.
Islamabad is not like other Pakistani cities. It is a planned city, with wide roads, green belts, and a sense of order that is rare in our part of the world. For an overseas Pakistani who has spent years living in clean, organised cities in the Middle East or Europe, Islamabad feels familiar and comfortable. It is no surprise that when they decide to invest in property at home, Islamabad often tops their list.
The twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi together form a massive real estate market. Within Islamabad itself, the sectors developed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) — such as F-6, F-7, F-8, F-10, and F-11 — have been prime locations for decades. These areas are expensive, but they hold their value exceptionally well. A house or a residential plot in a CDA sector is one of the safest long-term investments a family can make. With remittances becoming faster and cheaper, I expect many overseas Pakistanis who have been sitting on the fence to finally commit to buying in these established areas.
Then there are the newly developing CDA sectors on the outskirts — sectors like E-11, D-12, and the newer blocks opening up along the Kashmir Highway. These areas offer more affordable entry points while still carrying the official CDA stamp of approval, which means the paperwork is generally cleaner and the risk of legal disputes is lower. As crypto-enabled money flows in, these mid-range sectors will see a surge in activity from middle-class diaspora families who want a government-approved plot without stretching to the premium price of the central sectors.
Beyond the CDA zones, the private housing schemes around Islamabad have been expanding at an impressive pace. Bahria Town Rawalpindi is a self-contained city in itself, with its own electricity, water supply, and security. Its residential and commercial plots have generated enormous returns for early investors, and even today, demand remains strong. DHA Islamabad-Rawalpindi is another heavyweight, offering the same disciplined, military-backed planning that overseas Pakistanis trust in DHA Karachi and DHA Lahore. Both of these schemes have a long track record of delivering possession and developing infrastructure, which gives confidence to buyers who cannot visit the site every month.
Newer projects are also catching the eye. Capital Smart City, located along the M-2 Motorway near the new Islamabad International Airport, is Pakistan’s first smart city project. It promises modern infrastructure, technology-driven services, and master planning that appeals strongly to younger, tech-savvy overseas Pakistanis. When these same individuals become comfortable using regulated crypto to move money, Capital Smart City becomes a natural destination for their investment. Park View City, with its scenic location and strong marketing, and Eighteen Islamabad, a luxury project near the airport, will also draw diaspora attention.
TopCity-1 Islamabad: A Project That Will Quietly Capture a Large Share of the New Money
Now let me highlight a project that sometimes does not get the same attention as the giants, but in my view stands to gain enormously from the coming wave of crypto-driven investment. That project is TopCity-1.
TopCity-1 is located right next to the M-1 Motorway, just a few minutes’ drive from the new Islamabad International Airport. Its positioning is strategic. The M-1 connects Islamabad and Rawalpindi to Peshawar, while the nearby M-2 links to Lahore. Anyone landing at the airport can reach their plot in TopCity-1 without ever getting stuck in city traffic. For an overseas Pakistani who flies in once a year or once every two years, this ease of access is a big selling point. You step out of the airport, drive ten or fifteen minutes, and you are standing on your own land.
The master plan of TopCity-1 has been designed with modern living in mind. The developers have promised wide roads, underground electricity, a reliable water supply, parks, schools, and a dedicated commercial zone. These are the features that make a housing society feel like a proper community rather than just a collection of plots. The vision is to create a secure, well-managed neighborhood where families can live comfortably, and where investors can hold an asset that grows in value as the infrastructure matures.
What makes TopCity-1 especially interesting in the context of crypto legalisation is its price point. Compared to the prime CDA sectors or even earlier phases of Bahria Town and DHA, TopCity-1 offers more affordable residential and commercial plots. A 5-marla or 10-marla plot in TopCity-1 is within reach for many middle-class Pakistani families abroad who have been saving steadily but could never quite afford the biggest names. When remittance costs fall and the speed of sending money becomes instant, the barrier to buying such a plot drops dramatically. A driver in Riyadh, a plumber in Manchester, or a cashier in Toronto who can now save Rs 10,000 or Rs 20,000 more each month on fees will naturally think of placing that money into an asset like a TopCity-1 plot.
Another factor that works in TopCity-1’s favour is its position along the growth corridor between Islamabad and the new airport. The airport zone is already attracting hotels, business parks, and logistics hubs. As commercial activity around the airport expands, residential demand in the surrounding housing schemes will rise. TopCity-1 sits directly in this path of development. When overseas Pakistanis send money home to invest, they often look for projects that are not yet fully matured but are in the right location — because that is where the greatest appreciation potential lies. TopCity-1 fits that description very well.
I also want to mention the trust factor. Overseas investors cannot physically visit a site every week to check progress. They rely on developers who maintain communication, show visible construction activity, and stick to their timelines. The management of TopCity-1 has made efforts to provide regular updates through their offices and online channels. In a future where payments can be made seamlessly through regulated crypto channels, a developer who is transparent and responsive will attract far more buyers than one who stays silent. I see TopCity-1 being one of those that benefits from this shift because it already understands the value of keeping the buyer informed.
When you combine all these factors — a location minutes from the airport, a master plan built for modern living, an accessible price point, and a position on a major growth corridor — the conclusion is straightforward. TopCity-1 is going to be one of the projects that absorbs a large share of the extra remittance money flowing into Pakistan once crypto is regulated. Small, frequent investments from thousands of overseas families will add up to a steady stream of demand, pushing the project forward and rewarding early buyers with capital appreciation.
The real magic of Islamabad, however, is not just in the individual projects. It is in the reputation the city holds among Pakistanis abroad. They see it as a peaceful, secure, and relatively well-managed place. They imagine retiring there, sending their children to its good schools, or simply holding an asset that feels safe. When the cost of transferring money collapses, the decision to turn savings into an Islamabad property moves from “maybe one day” to “let us do it now.”
Even smaller towns and cities surrounding Islamabad, like Taxila, Wah Cantt, and Hassan Abdal, will benefit. A factory worker in Saudi Arabia who originally comes from that region can now send small, frequent amounts to buy a residential plot near his family home without losing a chunk to fees. The same goes for developing areas along the M-1 and M-2 motorway corridors, which connect Islamabad to Peshawar and Lahore. Land that was once considered too far from the city centre will become more attractive as infrastructure improves and capital becomes easier to deploy.
In short, while every major city will gain, Islamabad and its surroundings are uniquely positioned to soak up a huge share of this new, crypto driven liquidity. The city combines emotional appeal, legal clarity, and a pipeline of quality projects exactly the mix that diaspora investors look for.
4. Property Prices in Good Locations Are Likely to Rise — Here Is Why
When more buyers enter a market with money that is ready to spend, and the number of plots or houses in prime locations is limited, prices naturally go up. This is basic supply and demand.
We have already seen this pattern in Dubai. When the UAE introduced clear crypto regulations, a wave of new buyers, many of them young, tech-savvy, and holding digital assets, pushed property prices sharply higher in desirable areas. Pakistan’s prime locations — DHA, Bahria Town, the central CDA sectors in Islamabad, and well-established schemes like TopCity-1 in the growth corridor — will feel similar upward pressure.
For those who already own a property in these areas, this is good news. The value of your asset grows. For those who have been waiting to buy, the message is: the best time to enter may be before the full force of this new money arrives.
5. The Black Money Problem Will Start to Shrink
One of the oldest problems in Pakistan’s property market is the two-tier pricing: a white, documented value and a black, cash component paid under the table. This has made the market opaque, allowed tax evasion, and discouraged honest investors.
Blockchain-based transactions, by their nature, record every step. A payment made through a regulated stablecoin channel is documented forever. When the government links property registration to verified digital payment records — and this is coming — it will become much harder to hide the true value of a transaction. Over time, this can clean up the market. Buyers will have more confidence that the property they are buying is legally clean, and the government will collect more stamp duty and tax, which can be spent on public services.
6. New Ways of Investing in Property Will Appear
One exciting development I expect to see is something called tokenisation. Don’t let the word scare you. It simply means dividing a property into many small digital shares, like dividing a pizza into slices. Each slice is a token on a blockchain.
Let us say a developer builds a new apartment tower in Islamabad worth Rs 100 crore. Instead of finding ten buyers who can each pay Rs 10 crore, the developer can create 100,000 tokens worth Rs 10,000 each. A schoolteacher in Chakwal, a nurse in Rawalpindi, or a taxi driver in Birmingham can buy a few tokens and own a small piece of that building. As the property value goes up, their tokens go up in value. They can even sell their tokens to someone else when they need cash.
This makes real estate investment possible for everyone, not just the wealthy. It brings liquidity to a market that has always been slow and hard to exit. The rules for this still need to be written in Pakistan, but the seeds will be planted once crypto is legal and regulated.
7. Developers and Builders Will Adapt Fast
I expect that within a year or two of proper regulation, we will see Pakistani real estate developers openly advertising that they accept regulated crypto payments. They will partner with licensed exchanges to handle the conversion to rupees. Some will probably launch their own tokens or work with proptech companies to offer fractional ownership.
For overseas Pakistanis, this is a huge selling point. A developer who makes the payment process as smooth as a few clicks on a phone will attract far more diaspora money than one who still insists on bank drafts and physical visits. Competition among builders will force them to become more transparent, more efficient, and more friendly to digital investors.
8. The Roshan Digital Account and Crypto Will Become Partners, Not Rivals
Many of you are familiar with the Roshan Digital Account (RDA), which was launched in 2020 to let non-resident Pakistanis open bank accounts remotely and invest in Pakistan. It has been a success, bringing in over $8 billion so far.
In the future, I see crypto working hand-in-hand with RDA. Imagine an RDA-linked digital wallet where you can keep regulated stablecoins. With one tap, you convert your digital dollars into rupees and invest in Naya Pakistan Certificates, the stock market, or a property purchase. The State Bank gets full visibility of the funds. You get the speed and low cost of crypto. It is a win-win, and I believe this integration will happen sooner than most people expect.
What Should You, as a Common Pakistani, Take Away from All This?
You do not need to become a cryptocurrency expert overnight. You do not need to start trading Bitcoin. But you should pay attention, because this change will affect your money, your savings, and your property.
If you have a family member abroad, their ability to support you will improve. The cost of receiving money will fall, and the speed will become instant. If you have been dreaming of buying a plot or building a home, that dream might get a little closer because the extra money saved on fees can go towards your down payment.
If you own property already, your asset is likely to become more valuable as more money enters the market. If you are a real estate agent or a builder, the biggest opportunity of your career is approaching. Start learning about digital payments. Build trust. Make your documentation clean. Be ready for the overseas buyer who wants to seal the deal from his phone in Jeddah or Birmingham.
And if you are a policymaker or a banker reading this, understand that the biggest risk is not innovation — it is delay. The world is moving fast. The countries that welcome regulated digital money will vacuum up global capital. Those that hesitate will watch their diaspora’s savings flow elsewhere.
A Final Word from My Experience in Dubai
I work in Dubai’s property market every day. I have seen with my own eyes what happens when a government creates clear rules for digital assets. Capital comes. Prices rise. New investors appear from everywhere. The same will happen in Pakistan, perhaps even faster because our diaspora is so large and our emotional connection to home is so deep.
Cryptocurrency, at its core, is a tool. A tool that cuts out middlemen, reduces cost, and speeds up what used to be slow. When that tool is placed in the hands of millions of hardworking Pakistanis who want nothing more than to build a better life for their families, the result can only be one thing: growth.
The property market in Pakistan is not just about bricks and cement. It is about identity, security, and legacy. The coming wave of regulated crypto will make it easier than ever to turn foreign earnings into a solid asset at home. Stay informed, stay prepared, and be ready to take your slice of the opportunity.
