From Polygon to Ethereum: Bhutan’s Bold Blockchain Migration Puts 800,000 Citizens on Web3 Rails
Bhutan is transferring its nationwide self-sovereign id (SSI) framework from Layer 2 answer Polygon to Ethereum.
This resolution will enable its inhabitants of roughly 800,000 to authenticate identities and work together with authorities platforms through Ethereum’s blockchain.
Ethereum for National ID
In the most recent put up on X, Aya Miyaguchi, President of the Ethereum Foundation, revealed that the mixing 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 methods are more and more being acknowledged for his or her potential to improve transparency and safety, significantly 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. Other nations like Brazil and Vietnam have additionally experimented with comparable blockchain-based id initiatives.
Miyaguchi said that Bhutan’s National Digital Identity and GovTech departments have been key in driving the Ethereum integration, supported by members of the nation’s rising crypto group and technical contributors who helped within the transition.
“This milestone marks not solely a nationwide achievement however a worldwide 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 affect.”
Royal Crypto Ambitions
Beyond integrating blockchain into its digital financial system, Bhutan has actively mined bitcoin in recent times to strengthen its crypto holdings. Currently, the dominion owns 6,371 BTC, which makes it the sixth-largest authorities BTC holder on this planet, following the US, China, the UK, Ukraine, and the UAE, in accordance to information compiled by BitcoinTreasuries.
Earlier this yr, Bhutan partnered with Bitdeer Technologies to increase $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, will even make investments and goal institutional traders.
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