Sustainable Crypto Infrastructure Planned in Gelephu Mindfulness City
Bhutan has signed a multi-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with crypto market maker Cumberland DRW to develop digital asset infrastructure in Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) advancing the nation’s long-term, sustainability-focused Bitcoin strategy. The partnership aims to align crypto development with Bhutan’s environmental and governance principles.
Under the MoU, Cumberland will support Bitcoin reserve management, establish operations within GMC, and deploy experts to train local talent in blockchain and digital finance. The initiative also explores the creation of a national crypto ecosystem, including sustainable mining, stablecoins, AI compute, and yield-generation infrastructure.
Gelephu Mindfulness City, a special administrative region in Bhutan, integrates technology, sustainability, and mindful development, attracting global talent while emphasizing the country’s Gross National Happiness (GNH) model, which prioritizes collective well-being over economic growth.
Cumberland, the digital asset arm of Chicago-based trading firm DRW, has been active in crypto markets since 2014 and is a major provider of institutional liquidity across spot and derivatives markets. The company will collaborate with Green Digital, a GMC-linked firm focused on renewable energy-powered computing facilities, to ensure that infrastructure development meets Bhutan’s sustainability and economic diversification goals.
Bhutan is among the worlds first sovereign Bitcoin miners, leveraging surplus hydropower to build a national reserve. The country has also implemented digital asset solutions in tourism and merchant payments and launched TER, a sovereign-backed digital token linked to physical gold.
The agreement remains an MoU, outlining areas of cooperation without binding commitments, but reflects Bhutan’s growing role as a state using Bitcoin, blockchain, and stablecoins as long-term economic tools rather than speculative experiments.
Disclaimer
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.