The Pakistan Digital Authority has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Zurich based DFINITY Foundation to establish sovereign digital infrastructure in the country. Under this agreement, a Pakistan Subnet will be launched on DFINITY’s Internet Computer Protocol, enabling the country to operate its own tamper proof blockchain powered cloud infrastructure. The initiative is designed to strengthen data sovereignty by ensuring that sensitive data, national scale applications, and artificial intelligence systems are hosted within Pakistan rather than relying on foreign cloud providers.
Through the Internet Computer platform, Pakistan will gain the capability to manage critical digital assets independently, reducing exposure to external control and enhancing protection of public sector systems. As part of the collaboration, the two sides will also work on developing a national messenger application aimed at offering private and verifiable communication services. Officials stated that the infrastructure will support government entities in deploying secure software applications while maintaining transparency and accountability through blockchain based verification. The signing ceremony, attended by senior DFINITY executives and Pakistani officials, formalized the foundation’s entry into Pakistan’s technology ecosystem and signaled long term technical engagement within the country.
A key component of the agreement includes the issuance of 1,500 licenses for Caffeine, DFINITY’s AI incubated development platform. According to the agreed framework, 1,000 licenses will be allocated to the Government of Pakistan to modernize public institutions and strengthen digital service delivery. The remaining 500 licenses will be dedicated to the startup ecosystem, providing local entrepreneurs and developers with tools to build scalable AI driven and decentralized applications. This allocation is expected to expand digital capacity across both public and private sectors, while enabling developers to experiment with Web3 infrastructure and blockchain powered services within Pakistan.
Dr Sohail Munir, Chairperson of Pakistan Digital Authority, stated that the partnership represents an important step in the country’s digital evolution and supports efforts to enhance national resilience through secure infrastructure. He highlighted that the initiative will create opportunities for public institutions, students, and technology professionals. Dominic Williams, Founder and Chief Scientist of DFINITY, said Pakistan is adopting a forward focused strategy by laying the foundation for secure and verifiable software systems aligned with national priorities. Industry observers note that DFINITY’s expansion into Pakistan aligns with growing government interest in blockchain and emerging technologies. By introducing sovereign infrastructure and establishing a local presence, the foundation aims to support developers, strengthen cybersecurity practices, and enable broader adoption of decentralized applications across governance, finance, and enterprise sectors. The collaboration is expected to encourage further investment in Pakistan’s technology landscape and deepen the country’s participation in the global blockchain ecosystem.
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