Bitget has signed a cooperation agreement with the Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority, or GMCA, in a step toward building a local business presence in Gelephu Mindfulness City, Bhutan.
The agreement sets a cooperative framework for Bitget to establish a legal entity in GMC. Under the arrangement, the exchange plans to apply for relevant financial services licenses through the regulatory system overseen by the Gelephu Financial Services Office, or GFSO, while working with GMCA on operations, regulatory matters and ecosystem-building workflows. The cooperation is intended to support the growth of GMC’s digital asset ecosystem, subject to the required approvals.
Executives frame the deal around licensing and ecosystem development
Bitget CEO Gracy Chen said: 「Bhutan is embracing digital assets with rare long-term thinking, clean energy advantages and a clear regulatory framework. GMC is an emerging hub for digital finance, and Bitget looks forward to contributing exchange operations experience, infrastructure knowledge and local talent training as this ecosystem grows.」
Jigdrel Singay, a board member of Gelephu Mindfulness City, said: 「Our goal is to build a world-class digital asset ecosystem based on sound regulation, institutional-grade standards and long-term economic value. Partners such as Bitget play an important part by bringing in global expertise while also contributing to local capacity and the development of the broader financial ecosystem.」
Bhutan’s digital asset push is tied to hydropower and a special administrative region
The report describes Bhutan as one of the most closely watched sovereign states in digital assets. As part of a broader strategy aimed at economic growth, new job creation and retaining younger talent, the country has been using its hydropower resources to support green cryptocurrency mining.
GMC adds another layer to that strategy. The special administrative region in southern Bhutan is being developed as a next-generation international finance and innovation center. Its financial services and virtual asset system is governed by the Financial Services Act 2025 and related implementing rules. Any business providing regulated financial services or virtual asset activities within GMC, or outward from GMC, must obtain a financial services license from GFSO.
Bitget’s proposed local buildout includes hiring and an office
The article says Bhutan’s openness to responsible digital innovation has drawn global attention. In December 2025, Bhutan introduced the Bitcoin Development Pledge, presenting a long-term commitment to integrating digital assets into its economic development strategy in a responsible way, while cultivating an ecosystem built on sound regulation, institutional participation and long-term value creation.
Through the new cooperation, Bitget plans to bring global exchange experience, market infrastructure knowledge and digital asset industry expertise into GMC’s emerging ecosystem. Its planned local footprint includes future hiring in the market and the establishment of an office to support physical operations, talent training, knowledge transfer and long-term capacity building.
Background on Bitget, Bitget Wallet and GMC
According to the company profile included in the report, Bitget was founded in 2018. The exchange says it serves more than 120 million users across over 200 countries and regions, and offers copy trading and other trading solutions.
Bitget Wallet is described as a non-custodial crypto wallet that supports more than 130 blockchain networks and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments and direct access to more than 20,000 decentralized applications, or DApps. The report also says Bitget Wallet serves more than 80 million users, supports more than 130 major public blockchains and millions of crypto assets, and has established a $300 million user protection fund.
On partnerships, Bitget is listed as the official cryptocurrency partner of LALIGA in East Asia, Southeast Asia and Latin America. It also works with UNICEF with a goal of providing blockchain education support to 1.1 million people by the end of 2027, and it is MotoGP’s exclusive cryptocurrency exchange partner.
The report describes Gelephu Mindfulness City Special Administrative Region as a forward-looking initiative in southern Bhutan aimed at building a world-class economic center centered on mindfulness, sustainable development and innovation. The project combines Bhutanese traditional values with an internationally recognized legal framework, advanced design and technology, while drawing on the country’s renewable energy resources.