- Bhutan is migrating its self-sovereign national ID system for its 800,000 residents from Polygon to the Ethereum blockchain, with migration scheduled to finish by Q1 2026.
- The project was presented by the country’s leadership and Vitalik Buterin, framed as the first nation-scale Ethereum integration for a government ID system.
- Bhutan holds over 11,000 BTC worth US$1.3 billion, generated from hydropower-fueled mining operations that began in 2019.
Bhutan is moving its self-sovereign national ID from Polygon to Ethereum, enabling nearly 800,000 residents to verify identities and access government services.
The integration is now complete and all resident credentials are scheduled to migrate by Q1 2026, according to Ethereum Foundation President Aya Miyaguchi.
The rollout was presented in Bhutan with Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuk, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, and Ethereum Foundation President Aya Miyaguchi. Miyaguchi characterised the project as the first nation-scale Ethereum integration for a government ID system and said the aim is citizen-controlled identity.
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The Role of Crypto in Bhutan
Bhutan holds more than 11,000 BTC valued at about US$1.3 billion (AU$2.02 billion), ranking fifth among sovereign Bitcoin holders after the United States, China, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine. The stash equals nearly 40% of the country’s GDP.
Officials have trimmed exposure at price peaks while keeping core holdings. For instance, in July 2025, as Bitcoin set new highs above US$123,000 (AU$190,650), Bhutan sold 512.84 BTC for US$59.47 million (AU$92.18 million) across four days.
Bhutan’s reserves derive from hydropower-fueled mining that began in 2019 when Bitcoin traded near US$5,000 (AU$7,750), so it generates nearly all electricity from renewables, making low-emission mining economically viable.
In May 2025, Bhutan launched what it described as the first national cryptocurrency tourism payment system with Binance Pay and DK Bank. Visitors can pay for flights, hotels, tours, and local services using more than 100 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and major stablecoins.
Bhutan is one of the many countries that have successfully adopted Bitcoin as a reserve asset. Recently, Crypto News Australia reported that members of the Swedish Parliament are pushing for the creation of a state Bitcoin reserve, and with a sense of urgency, as the United States has already created one, alongside other crypto-friendly laws.
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