Pakistani technology entrepreneur, cryptocurrency expert, and live leverage trader Waqar Zaka has secured first place in the TradFi Competition, an international solo trading tournament that attracted more than 3,000 participants from around the world. The competition required traders to participate remotely using their own funds while demonstrating their ability to generate returns across multiple financial markets. As the winner of the contest, Zaka received a brand new 2026 Mercedes Benz G Wagon during a ceremony in Dubai. He has previously been officially recognized as a cryptocurrency expert through his appointment by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to support cryptocurrency and blockchain related initiatives. Unlike conventional cryptocurrency competitions, TradFi evaluated participants across stocks, gold, silver, commodities, and cryptocurrencies through a single trading platform, without teams, referrals, or promotional targets. The competition focused solely on individual trading performance, adaptability, and overall profit and loss results across different asset classes.
Competing with an initial trading capital of US$100,000, Waqar Zaka achieved a 74 percent return during the 20 day contest, generating US$74,000 in profit and increasing his account value to US$174,000. A participant from South Korea secured second place with a 57 percent return, while a trader from China finished third after recording a 35 percent return. Zaka had placed eighth in a similar international trading competition the previous year before improving his performance to claim the top position in the latest event. During the contest he initially moved into fourth place before eventually finishing first, making him the first Pakistani trader to win an international multi asset online trading competition of this type. The event reflected the growing popularity of competitive online trading, where participants are evaluated on analytical ability, trading strategy, risk management, adaptability, and consistent profitability across both traditional and digital financial markets.
The victory has also renewed public discussion around Waqar Zaka’s long standing advocacy for cryptocurrency adoption in Pakistan. For several years he has argued that Pakistan should establish a national Bitcoin reserve and include Bitcoin as part of the country’s national balance sheet. According to Zaka, the long term appreciation of digital assets could help reduce national debt and lessen dependence on the International Monetary Fund. Following his recent success, many social media users revisited his earlier television appearances and online videos after similar ideas regarding national Bitcoin reserves gained international attention through support expressed by US President Donald Trump. Zaka began publicly promoting cryptocurrency in 2016 when Bitcoin was trading near US$268 and later introduced live cryptocurrency trading sessions on YouTube in 2017. During periods of significant market volatility, he became known for demonstrating trading strategies based on mathematics, probability, statistics, and disciplined risk management while educating viewers about digital asset markets.
Beyond trading, Waqar Zaka has remained actively involved in cryptocurrency policy, legal advocacy, education, and humanitarian initiatives. He personally filed Constitutional Petition No. 7146 of 2019 before Sindh High Court and pursued the case for nearly two years to seek judicial clarification regarding State Bank of Pakistan authority and the legal status of cryptocurrency in the country. During the proceedings, he stated that his objective extended beyond launching a private cryptocurrency business and instead focused on encouraging the government to consider Bitcoin as a strategic national asset. Following the change in government, National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency withdrew criminal charges previously filed against him, after which the court discharged the case. Zaka has also promoted blockchain technology for humanitarian purposes by demonstrating how cryptocurrency could support transparent charitable assistance for Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar and other vulnerable communities. Holding an academic background in civil engineering, he later pursued entrepreneurship and business education at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he documented his academic experience for his audience. Through competitive trading, blockchain advocacy, public education, legal initiatives, humanitarian work, and engagement with government institutions, Waqar Zaka has continued contributing to Pakistan’s evolving cryptocurrency and financial technology landscape.
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