Bhutan Taps Ethereum to Store National Identities of Nearly 800K Citizens

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Sujha Sundararajan

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Sujha Sundararajan

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Sujha has been recognised as 🟣 Women In Crypto 2024 🟣 by BeInCrypto for her leadership in crypto journalism.

Last updated:

October 14, 2025

The Kingdom of Bhutan is migrating its national digital identity system from Polygon to Ethereum, with the full process expected to finish by Q1 2026.

The move enables nearly 800,000 citizens to verify their credentials on a public blockchain, marking it the first of its kind.

According to the Ethereum Foundation President Aya Miyaguchi, the integration of the system on Ethereum “is now fully operational.”

“This milestone marks not only a national achievement but a global step toward a more open and secure digital future for the long term,” Miyaguchi posted on X.

1/ Today, Bhutan celebrates a historic milestone, becoming the first nation to anchor its national digital identity system on Ethereum. 🇧🇹@VitalikButerin and I were honored to join the launch ceremony on behalf of the Ethereum community, graced by His Royal Highness. pic.twitter.com/KA4tOYbsJ4

— Aya Miyaguchi (@AyaMiyagotchi) October 13, 2025

Aya Miyaguchi, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, joined Bhutan’s prime minister, Tshering Tobgay, and crown prince on Monday at the launch ceremony.

Bhutan Government’s Decentralized Adoption

The move aligns with Ethereum’s 10th anniversary, underscoring a shared commitment to open public data.

“When I first visited Bhutan in May 2024, I felt a strong resonance between Bhutan and Ethereum: both believe that visions for the future must be grounded in strong foundational values,” wrote Miyaguchi. “It’s deeply inspiring to see a nation commit to empowering its citizens with self-sovereign identity.”

Ethereum boasts a globally distributed network of validator nodes. By leveraging the blockchain, Bhutan’s NDI benefits from greater decentralization, transparency and resilience.

With this integration, Bhutan’s national digital identity system can now issue Verifiable Credentials (VCs) and enable digital signing directly on Ethereum.

“By leveraging Ethereum’s globally distributed network, we are strengthening the security, transparency, and resilience of Bhutan’s digital infrastructure,” said Lyonchen Tshering Tobgay, the Prime Minister of Bhutan.

National ID System From Polygon to Ethereum Blockchain

Per a Bhutan Times report, His Royal Highness The Gyalsey of Bhutan launched its National Digital Identity in 2023 and became the first digital citizen.

In August 2024, the South Asian nation made a transition of its national digital self-sovereign identity from Hyperledger to Polygon.

Bhutan adopted the Polygon Blockchain, and its zero-knowledge protocols, aiming to enhance the system’s scalability, ensuring it can handle high transaction volumes without compromising performance.

“Bhutan’s transition reflects what Ethereum was always designed for — empowering individuals with sovereignty over their own data, fostering trust without central points of failure, and enabling inclusive digital systems that serve people first,” Aya Miyaguchi added. Besides, the Bhutan government is also staking Bitcoin, becoming the fifth-largest nation to hold the asset in treasuries. According to Bitbo data, the country currently holds 11,286 BTC, priced at $1.28 billion