Bhutan commits up to 10,000 bitcoin to back new mindfulness-based economic hub

Policy Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Bhutan commits up to 10,000 bitcoin to back new mindfulness-based economic hub The Himalayan kingdom plans to deploy part of its sovereign bitcoin holdings to fund long-term development through Gelephu Mindfulness City. By Jamie Crawley , AI Boost | Edited by Sheldon Reback Dec 17, 2025, 10:15 a.m. Bhutan unveiled a national Bitcoin Development Pledge that will allocate up to 10,000 bitcoin (BTC) to support the development of Gelephu Mindfulness City. (Midjourney/modified by CoinDesk) What to know : Bhutan committed up to 10,000 bitcoin toward the long-term development of Gelephu Mindfulness City, a new economic hub in southern Bhutan. The pledge builds on Bhutan’s years-long use of bitcoin mining powered by surplus hydropower. Officials say any use of bitcoin will prioritize capital preservation, transparency and long-term stewardship. Bhutan unveiled a national Bitcoin Development Pledge that will allocate up to 10,000 bitcoin BTC $ 86,673.90 , valued around $860 million at current prices, to support the development of Gelephu Mindfulness City. The commitment positions bitcoin as a strategic national asset rather than a speculative holding, with officials exploring responsible approaches such as collateralization, treasury strategies or long-term holding to fund development while preserving value, according to an emailed announcement on Wednesday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW Don't miss another story. Subscribe to the State of Crypto Newsletter today . See all newsletters Sign me up By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk products and you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . Final decisions on how the assets will be deployed are expected in the coming months. Gelephu Mindfulness City is a special administrative region designed to use digital assets for its financial reserves, forming a key part of Bhutan's blockchain strategy to diversify its economy and attract investment. Bhutan was among the earliest sovereign bitcoin miners , converting surplus hydropower into digital assets for several years. The country says it will continue using excess clean energy to mine bitcoin without increasing environmental impact. The pledge builds on a broader digital strategy that includes blockchain-based national digital identity, crypto-enabled payments for tourism and merchants, and the recent introduction of TER, a sovereign-backed gold token . Together, Bhutan sees the efforts as blending digital finance with governance, sustainability and social outcomes — particularly for younger generations. Bhutan Bitcoin News AI Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards . For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy . More For You Protocol Research: GoPlus Security By CoinDesk Research Nov 14, 2025 Commissioned by GoPlus What to know : As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M. GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month. Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. 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