#StrategyBTCPurchase

As the world debates crypto regulations, Bhutan is quietly blending its tradition with technology. Not cash or card, the Himalayan kingdom is now rolling out a crypto welcome mat to woo tourists to the country, in one of its first nation-wide crypto use cases to attract capital inflow.

The country has collaborated with the world’s biggest crypto exchange Binance to enable Binance Pay for masses. It’s a UPI-like payments system that directly converts crypto to fiat currency or Bhutanese Ngultrum on a quick scan of the QR code of the merchant.

Over the last fortnight, Binance and the Bhutan government gave us a glimpse of this futuristic payments ecosystem, as we paid for everything – from hotels, tour guides, street food to handicrafts – using crypto. This was across Bhutan’s topography, whether we were in the capital city of Thimphu or at an elevation of over 3,100 meters in the foggy Dochula Pass or a mystical Takstang Monastery (Tiger’s Nest).

This marks a big technological shift in the economy of the so-called Land of the Thunder Dragon, which has been measuring its progress through happiness indices and sustainable practices for the longest time.