Bhutan Implements National ID System Based on Ethereum

The South Asian nation of Bhutan is transitioning its self-sovereign ID system to Ethereum from Polygon, enabling its nearly 800,000 residents to authenticate their identities and access government services.

The integration with Ethereum is complete, and the shift of all resident credentials is expected to conclude by the first quarter of 2026, as stated by Ethereum Foundation President Aya Miyaguchi, who joined Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin at the launch event with Bhutan’s prime minister, Tshering Tobgay, and crown prince, Jigme Namgyel Wangchuk.

“It’s incredibly motivating to witness a nation dedicated to empowering its citizens with self-sovereign identity,” Miyaguchi posted on X on Monday, noting that the Ethereum integration is a world-first.

“This achievement signifies a national milestone and a global step toward a more open and secure digital future.”

Integrating a blockchain-based system into a government’s national ID structure has long been promoted as a beneficial use case for cryptocurrency, due to its immutability, transparency, and privacy features, especially with the implementation of zero-knowledge proofs.