Bitget has signed a cooperation agreement with the Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority (GMCA) to establish a licensed digital asset presence in Bhutan's new Special Administrative Region. The deal sets a framework for Bitget to apply for a Financial Services Licence under the regulatory framework administered by the Gelephu Financial Services Office (GFSO). Bhutan, which already uses its hydropower resources to support green cryptocurrency mining, signed the Bitcoin Development Pledge in December 2025 — a signal of long-term commitment to integrating digital assets into its economy.
What Bitget brings to the table
Bitget plans to contribute global exchange experience, market infrastructure knowledge, and digital asset expertise to GMC's ecosystem. That includes local hiring and a physical office presence. The exchange serves over 125 million users and offers access to over 2 million crypto tokens plus 500+ tokenized stocks, ETFs, commodities, FX, and precious metals. It also has partnerships with UNICEF and MotoGP to support blockchain education and crypto adoption.
Why Bhutan?
Gelephu Mindfulness City is a Special Administrative Region in southern Bhutan being developed as a next-generation international financial and innovation hub. Bhutan's economic strategy already leans into green crypto mining using its hydropower resources. The country's December 2025 signing of the Bitcoin Development Pledge signals a long-term commitment to integrating digital assets. For Bitget, this is a chance to get a regulated foothold in a jurisdiction that's actively courting crypto — not just tolerating it.
What happens next
Bitget will now go through the application process for the Financial Services Licence under the GFSO. The timeline for approval and launch of services hasn't been disclosed. The agreement is a framework — the actual licensed operations depend on regulatory approval. The application process will determine how quickly Bitget can start operating in GMC. No timeline has been given yet.
