- Bhutan plans to use up to 10,000 Bitcoin from its national reserves to fund Gelephu Mindfulness City.
- Bhutan holds roughly 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 allocate a portion of its national Bitcoin reserves to finance Gelephu Mindfulness City, a flagship urban development intended to reshape the country’s economic future, according to media reporting.
The Himalayan kingdom has confirmed plans to deploy up to 10,000 Bitcoin from its holdings to support the special administrative region launched in 2024.
This move places Bhutan among a small group of governments actively integrating digital assets into long-term development planning and highlights how Bitcoin mining and treasury management have become part of the country’s broader economic strategy.
Vision for Gelephu Mindfulness City
Gelephu Mindfulness City, located in southern Bhutan near the Indian border, is positioned as a new economic center designed to reverse youth outmigration.
The project aims to create high-value domestic jobs and expand opportunities beyond the country’s traditional economic sectors.
Official plans indicate the city will attract 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 intended to provide greater flexibility—particularly for crypto and fintech firms—and to support the expansion of Bitcoin mining activities in Bhutan.
Officials describe the city as a testing ground for new economic models that balance innovation with sustainability.
Bitcoin financing strategy
Authorities have said they are considering multiple approaches to managing the Bitcoin allocation, which is currently valued at several hundred million dollars.
Potential strategies include risk-managed yield approaches, treasury-style oversight and long-term holding plans designed to preserve and protect asset value.
Officials emphasize that development financing will be conducted in a stable and sustainable manner, under governance frameworks focused on capital preservation, oversight and transparency.
Bhutan ranks among the top national holders of Bitcoin, with most of its reserves accumulated through mining activities.
To date, the Gelephu plan represents the most concrete proposal for using the country’s digital asset holdings for public development.
National Bitcoin policy
The decision to employ Bitcoin for Gelephu Mindfulness City is part of Bhutan’s broader Bitcoin Development Pledge, a national policy aimed at supporting long-term economic growth through mining and asset management.
The king of Bhutan has said the objective is to ensure the project benefits the country’s entire population, which numbers several hundred thousand people.
As part of this approach, Bhutan is developing new land policies intended 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 in the project.
Because much of Bhutan’s land is state-owned, citizens from across the country’s districts 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 unveiled, along with appointments to a governor and a board of directors.
Fieldwork has begun to clear and prepare land for construction.
The region has introduced crypto-based payment options for merchants and tourist services and launched 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 with infrastructure and governance reform.