Bhutan Adopts Ethereum for National Identity: A New Chapter in Digital Sovereignty

The Kingdom of Bhutan has announced the successful integration of the Bhutan National Digital Identity (NDI) platform with the Ethereum blockchain — marking a historic milestone in the country’s journey toward digital sovereignty. This is a strategic choice by Bhutan’s government to adopt decentralized, open-source infrastructure for one of its most sensitive and foundational systems: verifying who its citizens are. The move also aligns with Ethereum’s 10-year anniversary, underscoring a shared commitment to open, interoperable public goods. This is also a significant step in Bhutan’s planned direction towards migration of its national identity system to an Ethereum-based platform by early 2026.

Ethereum has a globally distributed network of validator nodes. By leveraging this globally distributed node network, Bhutan NDI benefits from greater decentralization, transparency, and resilience—core attributes critical for the long-term durability of national identity systems. Additionally, Ethereum’s permissionless, open-source infrastructure, strengthens Bhutan’s national digital identity system, making it both resilient and future-ready.

With this integration, the Bhutan NDI platform can now issue Verifiable Credentials (VCs) and enable digital signing directly on Ethereum, reinforcing its adherence to self-sovereign identity principles. By anchoring decentralized identifiers (DIDs) to Ethereum’s globally distributed validator network, Bhutan benefits from enhanced security, transparency, and resilience—critical attributes for the long-term durability of national identity systems.

“The integration of Bhutan’s National Digital Identity platform with Ethereum marks a major step in advancing our nation’s digital sovereignty. By leveraging Ethereum’s globally distributed network, we are strengthening the security, transparency, and resilience of Bhutan’s digital infrastructure. This milestone also affirms our vision of building an interoperable and user-controlled identity system—one that connects Bhutan to global ecosystems while upholding His Majesty the King’s vision of a secure, inclusive, and digitally empowered society,” said Lyonchen Tshering Tobgay, the Prime Minister of Bhutan.

“Decentralized digital identity empowers people by giving them more secure control over their data and their online lives. Bhutan’s embrace of an open architecture on Ethereum reflects why we build this platform: to drive meaningful, positive change through open-source technology”, commented Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum.

In 2023, His Royal Highness The Gyalsey launched the National Digital Identity and became Bhutan’s first digital citizen, symbolizing the nation’s commitment to building a trusted and citizen-centric digital foundation. Since the launch, Bhutan has pioneered innovation around self-sovereign identity, becoming the first nation in the world to roll it out at population scale. The Bhutan NDI platform allows Bhutanese citizens to prove aspects of their identity without relying on centralized government systems that could become single points of failure while accessing digital services. Bhutan NDI’s success has prompted many other countries to explore the opportunities presented by decentralized identity systems.

Aya Miyaguchi, President of the Ethereum Foundation, added: “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.”

Bhutan’s choice reminds us that open infrastructure can and should serve as the backbone of trusted public systems, and decentralized identity is just the first step in demonstrating that a sovereign, self-determined path to digital modernization is not only possible, but increasingly necessary in a world grappling with foreign dependencies and platform monopolies.

Digital identity is just the first step in Bhutan’s broader vision for digital sovereignty, as the country explores extending its use of NDI and Ethereum to areas like digital document signing and blockchain-based voting, demonstrating how open technologies can support a secure, transparent, and citizen-led digital nation.

About Bhutan NDI

The Bhutan National Digital Identity (NDI) platform is a flagship national initiative enabling secure, privacy-preserving, and user-controlled digital identity for all Bhutanese. Built on open standards and decentralized technologies, Bhutan NDI represents trust between actors in Bhutan’s digital ecosystem by offering the highest level of assurance, ensuring that all information shared across online services and platforms is authentic and verified.

The Bhutan NDI platform establishes a highly secure digital identity system, leveraging decentralized open-source infrastructure to enhance the security and integrity of personal data. Bhutan NDI promotes inclusivity, accessibility, and equity by catering to individuals across demographics.

To learn more, visit: bhutanndi.com

Media Contact: ndi@bhutanndi.bt

About Ethereum

Ethereum is a decentralized blockchain network and software development platform that is home to thousands of applications across finance, identity, social media, stablecoins, and more.

To learn more, visit ethereum.org

Media Contact: press@ethereum.org