The Kingdom of Bhutan is upgrading its self-sovereign national ID system to the Ethereum blockchain.
This shift will enable nearly 800,000 citizens to verify their identities and access public services securely online.
According to Aya Miyaguchi, president of the Ethereum Foundation, the technical integration with Ethereum has already been finalized. She added that the full migration of citizen credentials will be completed by the first quarter of 2026.
The initiative was formally announced during a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuk. Additionally, the event saw the presence of Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Miyaguchi herself.
A First-of-Its-Kind National Integration
Miyaguchi hailed the initiative as a “world-first” for national identity systems. She highlighted that Bhutan’s approach reflects a long-term commitment to citizen empowerment through self-sovereign digital identities.
Furthermore, she described the achievement as a “global step toward a more open and secure digital future.”
Self-sovereign identity systems allow individuals to control their personal information without relying on centralized databases. In particular, Bhutan, leveraging blockchain technology, aims to enhance privacy, security, and transparency in government services, especially through the use of zero-knowledge proofs that protect user data while enabling verification.
1/ Today, Bhutan celebrates a historic milestone, becoming the first nation to anchor its national digital identity system on Ethereum. 🇧🇹@VitalikButerin and I were honored to join the launch ceremony on behalf of the Ethereum community, graced by His Royal Highness. pic.twitter.com/KA4tOYbsJ4
— Aya Miyaguchi (@AyaMiyagotchi) October 13, 2025
From Hyperledger to Polygon, Now Ethereum
Bhutan’s digital ID system has evolved through several blockchain platforms. Initially, it operated on Hyperledger Indy before later migrating to Polygon in August 2024.
Now, the current move to Ethereum marks the nation’s third major transition, thereby signaling a step toward modernization. It also demonstrates an intent to embrace a blockchain network that is both globally recognized and scalable.
The National Digital Identity and GovTech teams in Bhutan played key roles in the migration, with support from developers and contributors from the country’s growing crypto community.
Other Nations Taking Note
While Bhutan is the first country to fully implement a national ID system on Ethereum, a few others, such as Brazil and Vietnam, have experimented with blockchain-based identity solutions on a smaller scale.
Bhutan’s progress may serve as a model demonstrating how decentralized technologies integrate into public administration without compromising privacy or efficiency.
Bhutan’s Expanding Role in Crypto Innovation
Beyond digital identity, Bhutan has quietly become one of the world’s most crypto-forward nations. Although it measures national success through “Gross National Happiness,” its economic strategy includes active participation in digital assets.
According to BitBo’s Bitcoin Treasuries data, Bhutan currently holds 11,286 Bitcoin worth approximately $1.31 billion. This makes it the fifth-largest Bitcoin-holding nation, behind the United States, China, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine.
The country accumulates Bitcoin through mining operations powered by its hydropower plants in the Himalayas.
In September, Bhutanese officials also met with former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao for potential collaborations, though no details have been made public.
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