By. Irfan Siddiqui
Pakistani social media personality and crypto trader Waqar Zaka has achieved a major international milestone by securing first position in the global trading competition hosted by international cryptocurrency exchange WEEX, outperforming more than 3,500 professional traders from around the world.
The annual competition included participants from South Korea, Japan, China, the United States, and several European countries. Last year, Zaka finished eighth in the same event. This year, he made a strong comeback by topping the leaderboard under some of the most challenging market conditions seen in recent times.
The competition was held from February 2 to February 4, a period described by analysts as one of the most severe crypto market crashes of the year. During these three days, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and several other major cryptocurrencies experienced sharp declines, with some assets losing over 20 percent of their value within a single day. Billions of dollars were wiped out globally as market volatility surged and liquidations reached record levels.
As fear gripped the market, thousands of traders closed their positions to limit losses, and trading activity slowed significantly. In such conditions, generating profit is widely considered extremely difficult, even for experienced professional
Despite the hostile market environment, WEEX confirmed that Waqar Zaka started the competition with USD 100,000 of his own capital and continued live trading throughout the crash. Within just 48 hours, he increased the amount to more than USD 531,000, a performance that placed him at the top of the global rankings.
Based on this achievement, WEEX awarded him the title of Top Live Trader of WEEX 2026.
In its official statement, the exchange acknowledged Zaka’s performance, stating that while most traders were operating in panic mode during the crash, he continued live trading and demonstrated strong decision-making under pressure.
Waqar Zaka has been associated with cryptocurrency in Pakistan long before it gained mainstream attention. In 2015, when Bitcoin was trading around USD 260, he released what is widely regarded as Pakistan’s first educational YouTube video introducing the public to cryptocurrency. At a time when digital assets were largely unknown locally, his content helped spark early awareness and discussion.
He has also used cryptocurrency for humanitarian purposes, sending direct financial assistance to refugees in Burma and Syria through blockchain transactions, bypassing traditional delays. In 2017, he introduced the concept of live trading in Pakistan, publicly announcing trades before entering positions to promote transparency and accountability.
Zaka’s latest win has been widely praised on social media and within Pakistan’s tech and trading communities. Many observers have described it as a rare international achievement that highlights Pakistan’s presence in the global digital trading space and reflects the growing expertise of Pakistani professionals in emerging financial technologies.
⸻
