Bhutan Taps Ethereum to Store National Identities of Nearly 800K Citizens
Bhutan is officially shifting from its NDI system to the Ethereum blockchain. The move was made to ensure more secure and reliable data availability for the citizens. PM Tshering Tobgay stated, “This is not just a technological upgrade. It is a commitment to empower our people with control over their own identity.” Bhutan is on a bigger digital transformation agenda. This current shift is one more step toward accomplishing it.
Why Bhutan Chose Ethereum Over Other Blockchain Platforms?
GovTech Secretary Jigme Tenzing stated that “We are further strengthening the digital ID system by migrating to the Ethereum network.” Previously, Bhutan’s national identity system was working on Polygon, which is a layer two blockchain.
The country chose Ethereum for its global reach and decentralization. From now on, there will be no central authority to monitor the whole identity process. Users will verify their identity from anywhere in the world without any risk of cyber threats and data breaches. It’s an excellent move.
President Aya Miyaguchi posted on X that “This milestone marks not only a national achievement but a global step toward a more open and secure digital future for the long term.”
In an interview with Cointelegraph, he further added that “It’s deeply inspiring to see a nation commit to empowering its citizens with self-sovereign identity.”
The Bhutan government’s decision will ensure a long-term national infrastructure stability with zero tampering or deleted records. The systems’ immutability and zero-knowledge proofs completely restrict the exploration of private data.
Actually, now it’s a self-sovereign control of Bhutanese citizens over their data. There will be no centralized authorities, users will no longer need multiple approvals before sharing their credentials, and they will not fear privacy exposures.
Government-Led Launch with Support from Ethereum Foundation
Bhutan’s GovTech Agency is the mastermind of this plan. However, technical insights were given by Jigme Tenzing. Officials and analysts are praising the move as it’s a great step to empower citizens with control over their privacy.
Vitalik Buterin stated that “Bhutan’s decision to anchor its identity system on Ethereum is a practical demonstration of how decentralized technology can serve public good.”
According to the official statement of the GovTech Agency, “The integration marks the start of a staged migration of Bhutan’s NDI to a mainnet anchored solution, backed by zero-knowledge proofs and verifiable credentials.”
Beyond just national identity, the system is designed to integrate with the other government services. These services include banking, the education system, healthcare, and more. The process will be gradual, gradually including different institutions and onboarding citizens over time.
Implications for Global Digital Identity and Blockchain Governance
The country’s move is being praised as a leader in blockchain-based national identity management. They are proud of their move, as the government stated, “This initiative reflects our nation’s values of dignity, privacy, and progress.”
It will also set an example for other nations on how to make citizens more sovereign in their digital data privacy. It is expected that the system could also enable cross-border identity verification. This is literally a great move that will help in international finance, travel, and educational needs by removing all physical barriers and providing utmost ease to the citizens.
