Bhutan’s $100 Billion Smart City Draws Crypto Giants: Bitget Signs Strategic Pact

Global cryptocurrency exchange Bitget has signed an agreement with Bhutan’s Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority (GMC) to explore establishing a licensed local operation, marking a significant step in the sovereign nation's rapidly evolving digital asset strategy.

A $100 Billion Sovereign Crypto Oasis in the Himalayas

■The agreement paves the way for Bitget to establish a formal legal presence and initiate applications for a financial services license within the autonomous economic zone.

■GMC is a $100 billion autonomous economic zone, partially backed by Bhutan’s national Bitcoin reserves, designed to foster high-value roles in finance, technology, and wellness.

■This development follows Canadian digital-asset manager 3iQ being appointed to manage a mandate backed by a portion of Bhutan's sovereign Bitcoin treasury.

Infrastructure, Talent, and Institutional Integration

■Bitget CEO Gracy Chen highlighted that GMC is becoming an emerging hotbed for digital finance, stating that the exchange is eager to contribute its infrastructure expertise and local talent development programs.

■Under its respective partnership, 3iQ will establish a long-term presence in the city, investing in local human capital and providing critical knowledge transfer in digital asset management.

Bhutan is rewriting the playbook on how sovereign nations can leverage crypto as an economic multiplier outside traditional financial systems. Having quietly accumulated massive Bitcoin reserves through hydro-powered mining, the Kingdom is now constructing an institutional financial hub with partners like Bitget and 3iQ. From a software and blockchain architecture perspective, this is more than just regional exchange expansion—it represents the birth of highly regulated, state-backed sovereign crypto zones. Bhutan is successfully converting its natural energy surplus into global digital financial clout.