Bhutan is using 10,000 BTC from its national reserves to develop Gelephu Mindfulness City, a special economic zone expected to become a growth engine for the country.
Bhutan used 10,000 BTC to build the GMC Special Administrative Region.
On December 12th, Bhutan, the small nation nestled in the Himalayas, once again drew attention in the crypto community after announcing it would use 10,000 Bitcoin from its national reserves to develop Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), a special administrative region positioned to become the country's new economic engine.
According to an announcement on December 17th, the Bhutanese government stated that 10,000 BTC (equivalent to approximately $875 million USD) will be allocated through various financial strategies to support the development of Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC).
These measures include implementing risk-controlled, profit-generating activities, applying treasury management strategies, and maintaining long-term holding plans to preserve asset value.
- The government emphasizes that the priority is to ensure Bitcoin is used sustainably, stably, and securely, while maintaining the long-term growth potential of the national reserves. Bhutan wrote:
“Bitcoin’s enduring strength lies in its ability to increase in value over time. Any use of Bitcoin will be carefully managed, prioritizing Capital preservation, transparent oversight, and accountability.”
- Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) is a special administrative and economic zone that Bhutan began developing in 2024 in the town of Gelephu, in the south of the country, with the goal of becoming a new growth center within the next 20 years.
- The project is designed based on the philosophy of combining modern economic development with the preservation of Bhutanese culture and harmony with nature. GMC aims to attract sectors such as finance, fintech (including crypto businesses) thanks to its flexible legal framework, technology, tourism, green energy, healthcare, and agriculture.
- The city occupies approximately 10% of Bhutan's land area and enjoys a certain degree of autonomy in governance and legal matters, creating a favorable environment for investment.
- Bhutan is also using Bitcoin as a driving force for the development of GMC, integrating crypto into payments in commerce and tourism, and piloting the TER Token , which is backed by gold by the state. The King of Bhutan describes GMC as a company where the people of the entire nation are shareholders.
- The plan to use Bitcoin for GMC is part of a larger program called the Bitcoin Development Pledge, Bhutan's long-term economic development strategy based on Bhutan's massive Bitcoin reserves and mining activities that the country has been quietly developing for many years.
Analysts believe Bhutan is moving toward using Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset, similar to how many countries have used gold in the past.
According to Bitbo, Bhutan's Bitcoin treasury is worth nearly $1 billion, largely derived from Bitcoin mining using hydroelectric power, a plentiful resource in the kingdom.
Statistics on the amount of Bitcoin held by each country. Source: Bitbo (December 17, 2025)
Coin68 compilation
