Bitget, the world's leading Universal Exchange, has signed a cooperation agreement with the Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority (GMCA), marking a significant step toward establishing a licensed presence in Gelephu Mindfulness City, Bhutan. According to reports from Investing.com, the agreement establishes a framework for Bitget to establish a legal entity in GMC, prepare an application for the relevant Financial Services Licence under the regulatory framework administered by the Gelephu Financial Services Office, and work alongside local authorities on operational, regulatory and ecosystem development initiatives. Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget, stated that "Bhutan is approaching digital assets with a rare mix of long-term thinking, clean-energy advantage and regulatory clarity. GMC is the emerging hotbed for digital finance, and Bitget looks forward to contributing exchange experience, infrastructure knowledge and local talent development as this ecosystem grows." The cooperation extends beyond licensing and includes plans to contribute exchange expertise, market infrastructure knowledge and operational experience to GMC's developing digital asset ecosystem.
As reported by Investing.com, GMC operates under the Financial Services Act 2025 and subsidiary rulebooks, with firms carrying on regulated financial services or virtual asset activities in or from GMC required to obtain a Financial Services Licence from the GFSO. Any future operations remain subject to regulatory approval. The planned local setup includes local hiring and office presence over time, helping support GMC's wider focus on substance, talent development, knowledge transfer and long-term capability building. According to Jigdrel Singay, Board Director of Gelephu Mindfulness City, the project aims to build a regulated digital asset ecosystem supported by international expertise while developing local capabilities and long-term economic value. "Partners such as Bitget play an important role in bringing global expertise while contributing to the development of local capabilities and the broader financial ecosystem," Singay noted.
According to Bitget, Bhutan has become one of the most closely watched sovereign stories in digital assets, using its abundant hydropower resources to support environmentally powered cryptocurrency mining while exploring blockchain as part of a broader economic development strategy. In December 2025, through the Bitcoin Development Pledge, Bhutan has signalled its long-term commitment to responsibly integrating digital assets into its economic development strategy, while fostering an ecosystem built on sound regulation, institutional participation and sustainable long-term growth. Bhutan has previously signaled its interest in integrating digital assets into its economy through initiatives such as the Bitcoin Development Pledge, which emphasized responsible adoption supported by regulation, institutional participation and sustainable long-term growth.
According to Bitget, the exchange serves over 125 million users and offers access to over 2 million crypto tokens, 500+ tokenized stocks, ETFs, commodities, FX, and precious metals such as gold. The ecosystem is committed to helping users trade smarter with its AI agent, which co-pilots trade execution. Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget, stated that GMC is the emerging hotbed for digital finance, and Bitget looks forward to contributing exchange experience, infrastructure knowledge and local talent development as this ecosystem grows. The company currently leads in the tokenized TradFi market, providing the industry's lowest fees and highest liquidity across 150 regions worldwide. Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships such as MotoGP™ and has joined hands with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. The exchange continues to pursue jurisdiction-specific licenses while withdrawing from markets like Japan where it lacks approval.
As reported by Investing.com, the Gelephu Mindfulness City Special Administrative Region is a visionary initiative creating a world-class economic hub in southern Bhutan, centered on mindfulness, sustainability, and innovation. The SAR integrates traditional Bhutanese values with globally recognized legal frameworks, cutting-edge design and technology, while harnessing the Kingdom's abundant renewable energy resources to serve as a global exemplar of holistic development. GMC represents the next phase of Bhutan's digital asset strategy, established as a Special Administrative Region in southern Bhutan, aiming to become an international center for financial services and innovation. The GMC is being developed as a next-generation international financial and innovation hub, with its financial services and virtual asset regime governed by the Financial Services Act 2025 and subsidiary rulebooks.
