Freelancers earn record USD197m in September

Pakistan’s freelancers brought in a record USD197 million during September 2026, lifting earnings for the first three months of the fiscal year to about USD550 million, Business Recorder reported. The quarterly total was 46 percent higher than a year earlier.

The figures appeared alongside a Payoneer study of 265 senior finance and payments executives at large US businesses, which found that 69 percent were already using stablecoins in active operations. Faster settlement was the most commonly reported benefit, while 82 percent expected stablecoins to become part of their financial infrastructure within three years.

The report also noted that Pakistan’s estimated three million freelancers could seek dollar-denominated balances, but converting digital dollars into usable local currency remains a challenge. Pakistan’s Virtual Assets Act 2026 created PVARA to license and supervise the sector, while the regulator estimates cheaper remittance transfers could save around USD400 million annually.