Bhutan is shifting its nationwide self-sovereign identification (SSI) framework from Layer 2 resolution Polygon to Ethereum.
This resolution will enable its inhabitants of roughly 800,000 to authenticate identities and work together with authorities platforms by way of Ethereum’s blockchain.
Ethereum for Nationwide ID
Within the newest publish on X, Aya Miyaguchi, President of the Ethereum Basis, revealed that the combination has been accomplished, whereas all resident credentials are set to be migrated by the primary quarter of 2026. The announcement was made at a high-profile occasion that includes Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, and Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuk.
Blockchain-powered nationwide ID techniques are more and more being acknowledged for his or her potential to boost transparency and safety, notably with zero-knowledge (zk) proofs enabling privateness safety.
Bhutan’s digital ID journey started on Hyperledger Indy earlier than it moved to Polygon in August 2024. Now, by adopting Ethereum, the South Asian nation goals to strengthen belief in its digital governance infrastructure. Different nations like Brazil and Vietnam have additionally experimented with comparable blockchain-based identification initiatives.
Miyaguchi acknowledged that Bhutan’s Nationwide Digital Id and GovTech departments have been key in driving the Ethereum integration, supported by members of the nation’s rising crypto neighborhood and technical contributors who helped within the transition.
“This milestone marks not solely a nationwide achievement however a world step towards a extra open and safe digital future for the long run. The second felt much more significant because it occurs throughout Ethereum’s tenth yr. A reminder of how far we’ve come from concepts to real-world influence.”
Royal Crypto Ambitions
Past integrating blockchain into its digital economic system, Bhutan has actively mined bitcoin in recent times to strengthen its crypto holdings. At present, the dominion owns 6,371 BTC, which makes it the sixth-largest authorities BTC holder on the earth, following the US, China, the UK, Ukraine, and the UAE, in response to information compiled by BitcoinTreasuries.
Earlier this yr, Bhutan partnered with Bitdeer Applied sciences to boost $500 million to broaden its Bitcoin mining operations. The fund deliberate to help a 100-megawatt hydro-powered mining facility. Druk Holding & Investments, which occurs to be the Bhutan authorities’s funding arm, may also make investments and goal institutional traders.
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