Digital Ecosystems And Financial Licensing Experts
A Fintech Powerhouse.
Salahuddin, Saif & Aslam (Attorneys at Law) is trusted by virtual asset service providers, blockchains, fintech firms, leading financial institutions, and cross-border payment service providers, moving money and compliance across Pakistan, Asia, Africa, Europe, China, the United Kingdom, and the United States, from Pakistan's Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority, the State Bank of Pakistan, and the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan approvals to the cross-border regulators that follow.
Selected Clientele
A track record built at the frontier of fintech.
We have advised on some of the transactions, licences, and products that helped shape Pakistan's modern fintech market.
Pakistan's first-ever EMI licence and first P2P lending licence, both secured by the firm.
Pakistan's largest Digital Financial Wellness Initiative, structured by the firm.
Legal architecture for the application layer of one of Pakistan's first all-digital banks.
Pakistan's first, and to date only, sale of an existing EMI entity, licence, technology, and ecosystem included.
Early work shaping Nano-Lending, SME Lending, Earned Wage Access, and BNPL products in the Pakistani market.
Ongoing engagement in the policy conversation around Pakistan's evolving Nano-Lending regulatory framework.
Active involvement in the policy discussion as Pakistan's virtual asset regulator rolls out the Virtual Assets Act 2026.
Active adviser on State Bank of Pakistan greenfield microfinance bank licensing projects.
“He knows his work and we learn a lot about the FinTech market from him.”
Client feedback, Chambers Asia-Pacific, FinTech Legal
Core services
From virtual asset licensing to ongoing compliance, the work mostly falls into the following.
VASP & digital assets
Licensing with the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) under the Virtual Assets Act 2026, covering exchanges, custodians, and token issuers. A licence is the starting point, not the finish line, so we stay on for the AML, reserve disclosure, and cybersecurity obligations that keep it standing up to scrutiny.
Blockchain, Web3 & token structuring
Cryptocurrency and token structuring, smart contract review, DeFi and Web3 legal frameworks, NFT and digital asset transactions, and blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Cross-border blockchain venture structuring and AML/CFT compliance for virtual assets sit with the same team.
Payments & EMI licensing
SBP authorisation for payment and e-money institutions, from the application papers and capital structure through to the regulator correspondence, handled by senior lawyers rather than outsourced to a junior team still learning the regime.
Regulatory compliance
AML/CFT frameworks built to survive an audit, the ongoing reporting obligations that come with a licence, and the regulator correspondence when questions get asked, rather than stepping in only after something's gone wrong.
Cross-border structuring
Entity and transaction structures for businesses operating across Pakistani and foreign jurisdictions, worked through against the practical realities of exchange controls, tax residency, and cross-border money movement, not just how the structure looks on paper.
Lending & credit platforms
Regulatory positioning for Nano-Lending, SME finance, Earned Wage Access, and BNPL, the same product categories the firm has helped bring to market in Pakistan before.
Investment & fundraising
Term sheets, investor documentation, and negotiation support on funding rounds for fintech companies, bridging founding teams with institutional money coming in from China, the Middle East, and the US.
The work behind the positioning.
A selection of the mandates behind that track record, across payments, lending, virtual assets, and cross-border structuring.
PalmPay Digital Technology (Hong Kong)
Ongoing counsel on building out an EMI and embedded lending ecosystem in Pakistan.
Wetech International Investment (HK)
Advising on a Pakistan-focused digital lending and BNPL platform build-out.
QFIN Holdings (360 Group)
Advising China's largest fintech group on its AI-driven credit-tech entry into Pakistan.
The Bank of Punjab
Advising on blockchain-based financial rails and a tokenisation ecosystem.
PostEx
NBFC licensing and embedded finance counsel for its e-commerce logistics platform.
Dukan.PK & RIZQ (by Rozee)
Cross-border advice on an embedded commerce and workforce fintech ecosystem.
Who we advise
Built for the financial businesses that don't fit neatly into old categories, from first licence to scaled operator.
VASPs & exchanges
PVARA licensing and ongoing compliance for digital asset businesses.
Blockchain & Web3 ventures
Token structuring and legal frameworks for on-chain businesses.
Digital asset & tokenisation businesses
Regulatory positioning and structuring for digital asset and asset-tokenisation ventures.
Payment institutions & EMIs
Authorisation, structuring, and compliance for emerging and established payment platforms.
Digital banks
Regulatory and structuring advice for digital banking and neobanking frameworks.
NBFCs & lending platforms
Regulatory positioning for non-banking finance companies, digital credit, and BNPL products.
Cross-border trading businesses
Entity and transaction structuring across Pakistani and foreign jurisdictions.
Investors & fund sponsors
Term sheets, funding rounds, and diligence support on fintech investments.
Recognition
The ranking reflects a practice that's cross-border by nature. Our team advises clients operating across China, Hong Kong, Singapore, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lithuania, Kenya, Mexico, the Philippines, the UK, and the US, while staying rooted in Pakistan's regulatory environment.
What clients say
“It is easy for them to transfer the tech know-how into legal frameworks.”
“The department is distinguished by its deep understanding of financial regulations.”
“His expertise in negotiating with FinTech partners and navigating regulatory frameworks…”
Where we work
Rooted in Pakistan. Active across twenty-two jurisdictions on the cross-border fintech deals we handle.
The people you'll work with
You deal directly with the lawyer handling your matter, not a rotating front desk.
Hassaan Salahuddin
Financial regulation, licensing, and cross-border structuring. The lead lawyer on the firm's FinTech mandates.
hassaansalahuddin@ssalaw.coAsad Saifullah Khan
Placeholder: practice focus to be supplied.
Taha Hafeez
Virtual assets, payments, and regulatory compliance.
How we work
Commercial advice. Regulatory precision.
Understand the business model
Before giving legal advice, we understand the product, the money flow, the technology, and the commercial objective.
Identify the regulatory path
We determine what is regulated, which regulator has jurisdiction, and what approvals or structures are required.
Build the structure
We design the corporate, contractual, and regulatory architecture around the business, not the other way around.
Stay through execution
Licensing, regulator engagement, transactions, investment, and ongoing compliance stay connected rather than being treated as separate exercises. Regulatory positions change, so we stay available for what comes after.
Turnkey, start to end
Some mandates start with designing the ecosystem itself, building the financial models and business plans behind it, and carrying the work through from start to end.
Latest updates
Regulatory developments as they happen, written for the businesses they affect.
Structuring cross-border blockchain ventures
How founders are structuring entities across Pakistani and international jurisdictions.
EMI licensing: what the SBP looks for
The parts of an e-money application that decide how long it takes.
Virtual Assets Act 2026: what fintech businesses need to know
PVARA licensing is open. What compliance looks like for existing and new operators.
Beyond fintech
A fintech powerhouse backed by a full-service commercial law firm.
The same commercial judgment applied across the rest of our practice.
Corporate
Formation, governance, contracts, and commercial advisory for growing businesses.
Mergers & acquisitions
Legal advice and negotiation support on M&A transactions for fintech and technology companies.
Intellectual property
Registration, enforcement, and legal guidance to protect innovations and brands.
Real estate & construction
Legal support on development and construction projects, transactional and regulatory.
Litigation
Representation before civil and commercial courts across Pakistan.
Disputes
Negotiation, mediation, and arbitration to resolve conflict without unnecessary delay.
Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU)
AML/CFT compliance, suspicious transaction reporting, and liaison on FMU-related matters.
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)
Response and legal representation in cybercrime and financial-crime investigation matters.
Entering Pakistan: key regulatory questions
Answers to what businesses most often ask us before getting in touch.
Do we need a licence to operate a digital asset business in Pakistan?
Placeholder answer: to be written with the firm. Should set out the current position under the Virtual Assets Act and when Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) authorisation applies.
How long does a payments or e-money licence application take?
Placeholder answer: to be written with the firm, covering realistic timelines and the main causes of delay.
Can you advise businesses incorporated outside Pakistan?
Placeholder answer: to be written with the firm, covering cross-border engagement and jurisdictional scope.
How are your fees structured?
Placeholder answer: to be written with the firm, covering fixed fee vs hourly and when each applies.
Do you work in Chinese?
Placeholder answer: to be written with the firm, confirming direct bilingual capability.
Tell us what you're building.
Tell us briefly what you're dealing with. A senior member of the team reads every enquiry and responds within one business day.