Bhutan links national digital ID to Ethereum, aims migration by 2026

Bhutan has completed integration of its national digital identity platform with the Ethereum blockchain and will migrate all resident credentials to the network by the first quarter of 2026, government and project officials said at a launch ceremony Monday in Thimphu. The move will allow nearly 800,000 citizens to receive verifiable digital credentials and use cryptographic proofs of attributes such as age, residency and citizenship without relying on centralized databases.

Officials said the National Digital Identity platform can now issue verifiable credentials and link decentralized identifiers to Ethereum’s validator network. The integration, government and Ethereum Foundation representatives said, is intended to increase decentralization, resilience and the ability of citizens to control their personal data. Aya Miyaguchi, president of the Ethereum Foundation, wrote on X, "It is deeply inspiring to see a nation commit to empowering its citizens with selfsovereign identity." Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin said the system aligns with efforts to give people more secure control over their data and online lives.

Bhutan’s identity project was launched in 2023 and used W3C...