Bhutan May Complete Migration of Self-Sovereign National IDs to Ethereum by Early 2026

• Bhutan now stores national IDs on Ethereum for ~800,000 residents

• Migration completed from Polygon; full credential transfer due by Q1 2026

• Bhutan holds 11,286 BTC (~$1.31B) and used renewable hydropower mining — BitBo’s Bitcoin Treasuries

Bhutan national ID on Ethereum — now live for ~800,000 residents; verify identity and access services. Read how the migration works and next steps.

Published: October 14, 2025. Updated: October 14, 2025. Author: COINOTAG.

What is the Bhutan national ID on Ethereum?

Bhutan national ID on Ethereum is a self-sovereign identity system that stores verifiable credentials for roughly 800,000 residents on the Ethereum blockchain. The government migrated from Polygon to Ethereum to leverage the network’s immutability and decentralization while maintaining privacy-preserving measures such as zero-knowledge proofs.

The integration was completed at a public launch attended by Ethereum Foundation leadership and Bhutan’s senior officials. Full migration of all resident credentials is scheduled to finish by Q1 2026.

Source: Aya Miyaguchi

How does the Ethereum integration work and why did Bhutan move from Polygon?

Bhutan’s National Digital Identity and GovTech teams coordinated the technical migration, moving verifiable credentials from Polygon to Ethereum. Officials cited Ethereum’s strong decentralization and long-term network security as key factors. Ethereum Foundation President Aya Miyaguchi and co-founder Vitalik Buterin attended the launch with Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuk.

Implementation uses cryptographic verifiable credentials; identity attestations themselves are not stored on-chain. Instead, cryptographic proofs and hashes anchor credentials to Ethereum, enabling verification without exposing private data. The government emphasized privacy by incorporating zero-knowledge proof techniques where applicable.

Frequently Asked Questions

How will Bhutan migrate all resident credentials to Ethereum by Q1 2026?

Bhutan completed integration and is executing staged credential transfers coordinated by National Digital Identity and GovTech teams. The phased plan prioritizes data integrity and privacy, verifying hashes and issuing on-chain proofs as citizens opt in or complete validation checkpoints. Completion is targeted for Q1 2026.

Can residents verify their Bhutan ID on Ethereum using common wallets?

Yes. Residents will use compatible wallets or government-provided apps that support verifiable credentials and cryptographic proof flows. The system relies on industry-standard formats to facilitate verification while preserving user control over personal data. The government will publish guidance and tools for citizens.

Source: Timour Kosters

“It’s deeply inspiring to see a nation commit to empowering its citizens with self-sovereign identity,” Aya Miyaguchi posted on X, calling the integration a world-first and a long-term step toward a more open and secure digital future. Statements from Bhutan’s National Digital Identity office highlighted collaboration across public and local crypto-community contributors.

Context and related data

Bhutan previously operated its national ID system on Polygon from August 2024 and used Hyperledger Indy before that. Few countries have partially integrated blockchain-based self-sovereign identity systems; Brazil and Vietnam are examples of other partial adopters. The move to Ethereum reflects a trend among governments testing decentralized identity primitives anchored to public blockchains.

Separately, Bhutan has become a notable state-level Bitcoin holder. BitBo’s Bitcoin Treasuries data reports Bhutan holds 11,286 BTC (approximately $1.31 billion), making it the fifth-largest Bitcoin-holding nation-state. The country’s Bitcoin position was built through mining operations powered by Himalayan hydropower, emphasizing renewable-energy-backed crypto activity.

Bhutan also engaged with industry figures in recent months, including a meeting with former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao in late September 2025; officials have not disclosed specific outcomes from that meeting.

Related: Crypto funds attract $3.2B inflows despite Friday’s flash crash (plain text reference).

Pay in #BNB using @Binance Pay in Bhutan🇧🇹, nice and easy. 😏 pic.twitter.com/B5p3YolJjJ — CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) September 29, 2025

Key Takeaways

• National rollout: Bhutan has migrated its self-sovereign ID system to Ethereum and aims to complete credential migration by Q1 2026.
• Technical approach: Credentials are anchored via cryptographic proofs and hashes on Ethereum; privacy-preserving techniques like zero-knowledge proofs are emphasized.
• Wider significance: Bhutan’s adoption adds to a small set of national-level blockchain identity pilots and coincides with the country’s notable Bitcoin treasury holdings (BitBo’s Bitcoin Treasuries).

Conclusion

The move to Bhutan national ID on Ethereum represents a significant government-scale application of public-blockchain verifiable credentialing. With integration complete and a full migration planned for Q1 2026, Bhutan’s effort will be closely watched as a practical example of self-sovereign identity, combining on-chain integrity with off-chain privacy controls. COINOTAG will continue to monitor official updates from the Ethereum Foundation, Bhutan’s National Digital Identity office, and related public data sources for developments.