Gelephu Mindfulness City in Bhutan Adopts Bitcoin and Digital Assets as Strategic Reserves

Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), Bhutan’s Special Administrative Region (SAR), will include Bitcoin (BTC) in its strategic reserves. Ethereum (ETH) and Binance Coin (BNB) will also form part of these reserves.

This initiative aims to strengthen GMC’s economic resilience and promote blockchain innovation in South Asia. The SAR will focus on digital assets with high market capitalization and deep liquidity. It will also prioritize assets on secure blockchain networks to ensure transparency and stability.

This announcement builds on Bhutan’s growing role in crypto. Druk Holding & Investments (DHI), Bhutan’s state investment arm, has mined over 13,000 Bitcoin since 2019. This makes Bhutan one of the largest government Bitcoin holders, surpassing El Salvador, which holds 5,995 BTC.

GMC’s legal framework for digital assets was established through the “Application of Laws Act 2024.” This law supports financial services involving blockchain and sets a progressive regulatory standard.

In March 2025, GMC will host a global summit in Bhutan. The summit will explore digital assets as strategic reserves and form an advisory panel.

Fidelity recently reported more governments could adopt Bitcoin reserves to hedge against inflation and financial instability. GMC’s initiative aligns with this trend and demonstrates Bhutan’s leadership in crypto innovation.