Nearly 800,000 citizens to gain blockchain-based self-sovereign identities by 2026
The Kingdom of Bhutan has officially migrated its national identity system to the Ethereum network, becoming the first nation to fully leverage Ethereum’s public blockchain to manage digital identities for its citizens.
The South Asian country — home to around 800,000 residents — will use Ethereum’s immutable and decentralized infrastructure to enable secure, self-sovereign ID verification and access to government services.
According to Ethereum Foundation President Aya Miyaguchi, the integration with Ethereum’s mainnet has been completed, while the full migration of citizen credentials is expected by Q1 2026. Miyaguchi joined Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, and Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuk at the official launch ceremony.
“It’s deeply inspiring to see a nation commit to empowering its citizens with self-sovereign identity,”
— Aya Miyaguchi, Ethereum Foundation President
A shift from Polygon to Ethereum
Bhutan’s national ID has evolved across multiple blockchain networks. Initially built on Hyperledger Indy, it later transitioned to Polygon in August 2024 before now settling on Ethereum — marking its third blockchain migration.
Miyaguchi called the transition “a global milestone for open and secure digital infrastructure,” praising Bhutan’s National Digital Identity and GovTech teams for their technical leadership.
Blockchain-based identity systems are increasingly viewed as one of the most practical real-world applications of decentralized technology, valued for their transparency, privacy protections, and use of zero-knowledge proofs to safeguard user data.
Bhutan’s growing crypto presence
Beyond digital identity, Bhutan has quietly become a major player in Bitcoin adoption. The Himalayan nation — known for measuring success by Gross National Happiness — is now the fifth-largest Bitcoin-holding country, with 11,286 BTC valued at roughly $1.31 billion, according to BitBo’s Bitcoin Treasuries data.
Bhutan’s Bitcoin reserves were largely accumulated through sustainable mining powered by hydropower dams. The government has also held private meetings with former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, signaling potential expansion into broader crypto initiatives.
As Miyaguchi noted, “Bhutan’s Ethereum integration marks a turning point — not just for the nation, but for digital governance worldwide.”
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