Bhutan’s Bitcoin Bonanza: The Mindfulness City Mirage

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The Kingdom of Bhutan, that quaint Himalayan monarchy forever oscillating between mysticism and modernity, has announced-with all the gravitas of a monk meditating on a mountaintop-that it shall dip into its stash of 10,000 Bitcoin to conjure up the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC). 🧘‍♂️💸

Gelephu, a town nestled in the southern folds of Bhutan, has been designated as the site of this grand experiment in economic alchemy. The GMC, launched in 2024, is ostensibly designed to halt the exodus of Bhutan’s youth by conjuring high-value jobs out of thin air-or, more accurately, out of cryptographic code.

The city aims to lure businesses from sectors as diverse as finance, tourism, green energy, technology, healthcare, and agriculture, all while offering regulatory flexibility for crypto and fintech firms. Covering roughly 10% of Bhutan’s territory-a modest 1,544 square miles-it promises to be a veritable Shangri-La of blockchain innovation. 🌐🏔️

How Bitcoin Will Be Used to Fund Bhutan’s GMC

A panoply of measures is being considered to deploy the $875 million in Bitcoin (BTC), including risk-managed yield strategies, treasury tactics, and long-term holding plans to preserve the sanctity of the stash. The government, with all the solemnity of a monk reciting sutras, declared:

“Any use of Bitcoin will be guided by strong governance and prudence, with an emphasis on capital preservation, appropriate oversight, and transparency.”

Bhutan, with its fifth-largest Bitcoin stash among nations, has mined its way to holding around 11,286 coins, valued at over $986 million-a sum that would make even the most ascetic monk blush. 🤑

Bitcoin-Powered Development: A Key Policy for Government

The GMC is but one jewel in the crown of Bhutan’s Bitcoin Development Pledge, a grand scheme to leverage Bitcoin and mining operations for national prosperity. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, in a display of regal benevolence, has pledged to ensure that all 796,682 Bhutanese citizens benefit from this venture.

“Think of GMC as a company and landowners as its shareholders,” remarked the King, with the sagacity of a monarch who has read one too many business books. “Since most land is state-owned, Bhutanese from all Dzongkhags will share in its success.” 🗺️👑

The GMC’s masterplan and legal framework were unveiled in 2024 along with the appointment of a board of directors and a governor. Site clearance, building renovations, and the introduction of crypto-based payments across merchants and tourism services are already underway. The city has even launched TER, a sovereign-backed digital token linked to physical gold-because, apparently, mindfulness isn’t enough without a touch of Midas. 💰

Envisioned as an economic corridor linking South Asia to Southeast Asia, the GMC will be built in phases over the next two decades-because Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a Mindfulness City powered by Bitcoin. 🛠️🌏

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2025-12-17 09:08