Bhutan hands 3iQ the keys to part of its Bitcoin stash — count not included 🔑

Bhutan's Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) has selected Canadian digital-asset manager 3iQ to oversee a mandate backed by a portion of the special administrative region's Bitcoin treasury, as GMC develops a digital-asset investment hub. Under the arrangement, 3iQ will manage an undisclosed slice of the Bitcoin allocated to support Gelephu's development and will establish a long-term presence in the city, with commitments to invest in local talent and provide training and knowledge transfer.

The mandate stems from a December 2025 announcement in which Bhutan said up to 10,000 Bitcoin from the country's national holdings would be directed toward GMC. Neither 3iQ nor Gelephu disclosed the size of the allocation now placed under management, the custody arrangements in place, or whether the mandate permits lending, derivatives or other yield-generation strategies.

3iQ CEO Pascal St-Jean said the firm would apply institutional discipline to the mandate and help put Bhutan's capital to work "responsibly, transparently and for the long term." Gelephu board director Jigdrel Singay described 3iQ as one of the city's founding institutional partners, adding that further milestones would be announced as Gelephu works to position itself as a digital offshore financial center focused on innovation, sustainability and institutional asset management.