- Bhutan plans to allocate up to 10,000 Bitcoin from its national reserves to finance Gelephu Mindfulness City.
- Bhutan holds approximately 11,286 Bitcoin, making it the world’s fifth-largest national holder.
- The city will be developed in phases over 20 years with executive autonomy and legal independence.
Bhutan is preparing to use a portion of its national Bitcoin reserves to help finance the development of Gelephu Mindfulness City, a flagship urban project intended to reshape the country’s economic future, according to a report from Cointelegraph.
The Himalayan kingdom has confirmed plans to allocate up to 10,000 Bitcoin from its holdings to support the special administrative region, which was launched in 2024.
This move places Bhutan among a small number of governments actively integrating digital assets into long-term development planning, underlining how Bitcoin mining and treasury management have become part of the nation’s broader economic strategy.
Gelephu Mindfulness City vision
Gelephu Mindfulness City is located in southern Bhutan near the Indian border and is being positioned as a new economic hub aimed at reversing youth outmigration.
The project seeks to create meaningful domestic employment and expand opportunities beyond Bhutan’s traditional economic sectors.
Official plans describe the city as attractive to businesses in finance, tourism, green energy, technology, healthcare, and agriculture.
The special administrative region covers roughly 1,544 square miles, about 10% of Bhutan’s total land area.
Its regulatory framework is designed to offer greater flexibility—especially for crypto and fintech companies—while supporting the expansion of Bhutan’s Bitcoin mining activities.
Officials portray the city as a testing ground for new economic models that balance innovation with sustainability.
Bitcoin financing strategy
According to Cointelegraph, the government said it is considering several approaches to manage the Bitcoin allocation, valued at roughly $875 million.
Options under review include risk-managed yield strategies, treasury-style management, and long-term holding plans aimed at preserving asset value.
Authorities have emphasized that development financing will proceed in a steady, sustainable manner, backed by governance frameworks that prioritize capital preservation, oversight, and transparency.
Bhutan ranks as the fifth-largest national holder of Bitcoin, with most of its reserves accumulated through mining.
Data from Bitbo estimates the country’s holdings at about 11,286 Bitcoin, with a market value exceeding $986 million.
The Gelephu plan represents the most concrete public-sector use of this digital asset stockpile to date.
National Bitcoin policy
The decision to deploy Bitcoin for Gelephu Mindfulness City is part of Bhutan’s broader Bitcoin Development Pledge, a national policy intended to support long-term economic growth through mining and capital management.
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has said the goal is to ensure that the entire population—more than 796,682 people—benefits from the project.
As part of this strategy, Bhutan is drafting new land policies to protect landowners, prevent rising inequality, and ensure shared national prosperity.
The city is being presented as a collective national enterprise, with landowners treated as stakeholders.
Since much of the country is state-owned, residents from all Dzongkhags are expected to share in the project’s success.
Governance and rollout
A master plan and legal framework for Gelephu Mindfulness City have already been announced, alongside the appointment of a governor and a board.
Preparatory construction work has begun to clear and ready the site.
The region has introduced crypto-based payments for merchants and tourism services and launched TER, a sovereign-backed digital token tied to physical gold.
The city is designed as an economic corridor linking South Asia and Southeast Asia, with executive autonomy and legal independence.
Development is planned in phases over the next 20 years, reflecting Bhutan’s long-term strategy to integrate digital assets, infrastructure, and governance reform.