Bhutan Bitcoin Pledge: $1 Billion Plan to Build Mindfulness City

The Bhutan Bitcoin pledge is a historic transition in the application of sovereign digital assets to national development. Bhutan has pledged a maximum of 10,000 bitcoin (BTC), worth about 1 billion dollars, to finance the building of Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) without selling its bitcoin holdings. The plan makes Bitcoin a long-term financial driver and not a speculative asset, which strengthens the Bhutanese sustainable and conscious economic development strategy.

Bhutan Bitcoin Pledge Backed by National Leadership

The Bitcoin development pledge was launched when King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk announced it in his National Day Address, and presented the initiative as a generational investment aimed at youth employment and long-term prosperity. The pledge will fund GMC by the use of collateral lending, risk-managed yield strategies, and long-term holding mechanisms that will enable Bhutan to save capital and finance infrastructure. 

The authorities pointed out that this strategy is not the outcome of a short-term market timing but a product of decades of strategic build-up. The last implementation details would be offered in the next months within the governance structures that focus on transparency and capital maintenance.

Source: Breathe Bhutan

Sovereign Bitcoin Mining Powered by Clean Energy

Bhutan is now the fifth-largest holder of Bitcoin in the world, having mined up to 13,011 BTC since 2021 with excess hydroelectric power on Himalayan rivers. Based on the data provided by Bitbo, the Kingdom currently possesses over 11,286 BTC, which is worth about 1.28 billion dollars.

The mining project that uses renewable energy transforms the surplus capacity of the national grid into digital assets and does not affect the environment. It is a strategy that takes into consideration over 25 percent of the GDP of Bhutan, as the economic growth is balanced with environmental stewardship.

Source: Bitbo

The Kingdom established Green Digital Ltd through GMC  to build blockchain infrastructure and recently partnered with Cumberland DRW on digital asset trading systems, sustainable mining growth, AI compute, and national stablecoin development. In this regard, Gelay Jamtsho, chairman of Green Digital, stated that the partnership links the renewable energy infrastructure of Bhutan to institutional-level liquidity to facilitate economic diversification.

Blockchain Integration Across Bhutan’s Economy

In addition to mining, Bhutan has incorporated blockchain in its national systems. In October, the Kingdom launched a national identity system based on blockchain and serving 800,000 citizens on Ethereum, replacing Polygon, to support Verifiable Credentials and digital signing.

Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay said that the globally distributed network offered by Ethereum is more secure, transparent, and resilient. Bhutan also supports crypto payments at tourism merchants with the service of DK Bank and Binance Pay, which lets visitors pay with more than 100 different cryptocurrencies. According to the tourism director, Damcho Rinzin, the system encourages innovation, inclusion, and sustainable development. Moreover, Bhutan recently introduced TER, a SOLANA-based token pegged to physical gold reserves, making the country one of a limited number of countries that are testing tokenizing state assets.

Mindfulness City as a Long-Term Economic Catalyst

Gelephu Mindfulness City is a Special Administrative Region of Bhutan that plans to use capital inflow to maintain Bhutanese cultural values, but at the same time. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk highlighted the idea of inclusive ownership and said, “As your King, I must ensure that every Bhutanese is a custodian, stakeholder, and beneficiary of GMC,” he added, “Think of GMC as a company and landowners as its shareholders“.

Conclusion: Bhutan Bitcoin Pledge Redefines Sovereign Finance

The Bhutan Bitcoin pledge is an example of how sovereign Bitcoin reserves can finance national development without the need to liquidate assets. Bhutan is setting Gelephu Mindfulness City as an example of mindful, future-oriented economic development by relying on clean energy, disciplined holding strategies, and integration of blockchain.

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrency investments are highly volatile and risky. Always conduct your own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.