Bhutan migrates the "national digital identity" of 800,000 citizens to Ethereum, Vitalik: giving people peace of mind and the right to control their data

The Kingdom of Bhutan announced today (14th) that it will migrate the digital identity system of 800,000 citizens across the country to the Ethereum main network, which is the first example in the world.
(Preliminary information: Bhutan’s Bitcoin value accounts for nearly 40% of GDP, and five years of happy mining has become the world’s third largest BTC reserve country)
(Background supplement: Bhutan cooperates with Binance Payment to launch the first “National Encrypted Tourism Payment System” with full support for hotels, attractions, and shopping)

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The Kingdom of Bhutan (Kingdom of Bhutan) on October 14 (approximately local time) On the evening of October 13), it was officially announced that the National Digital Identity (NDI) system of about 800,000 citizens across the country had been successfully migrated from the Polygon blockchain to the Ethereum main network.

Witnessed by heavyweights

This milestone event was grandly announced in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. Many important figures gathered at the scene, including Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin, and Ethereum Foundation Chairman Aya Miyaguchi.

In this regard, Aya Miyaguchi, chairman of the Ethereum Foundation, also posted on the At the same time, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin also praised that this migration "gives people more secure data control and promotes open source technology to bring positive changes to human life."

Scope and migration progress of Bhutan’s digital identity system

This migration covers the digital identity credentials of approximately 800,000 citizens across the country. Through self-sovereign identity technology, citizens can safely store, share and verify personal data, and can be used in government services, online transactions, identity authentication and other scenarios.

The system uses zero-knowledge proofs technology to ensure that private information is not leaked during the verification process, taking into account both security and convenience. Currently, this migration operation has been integrated on the Ethereum main network, and it is expected to complete the migration of all certificates before the first quarter of 2026.

Bhutan’s blockchain layout and forward-looking strategy

Bhutan has actively deployed blockchain technology in recent years to demonstrate the great ambitions of a small country. Specifically, it includes:

Digital identity system evolution: The NDI system was launched in 2022 and switched to the Polygon blockchain in 2024 to optimize transaction speed and cost. This migration to the Ethereum mainnet further strengthens the decentralization and global compatibility of the system.

Bitcoin Mining: Since 2023, Bhutan has used its abundant hydropower resources to invest in Bitcoin mining and currently holds more than 11,000 BTC.

Crypto Tourism and Reserves: In early 2025, Bhutan’s Gelephu Mindfulness City plans to include Bitcoin, Ethereum and BNB as reserve assets, and cooperates with Binance to launch a cryptocurrency tourism payment system to promote the integration of digital economy and tourism.