Bhutan, the secluded Himalayan kingdom famed for measuring progress by Gross National Happiness instead of traditional economic metrics, finds itself turning to an unexpected economic savior — Bitcoin.

Historically isolated between economic giants China and India, Bhutan faces persistent economic pressures such as high youth unemployment, limited agricultural land, and a tourism industry still recovering from the pandemic.

With Bhutan’s GDP hovering around $3.02 billion in 2023, tourism previously accounted for more than 10%, bringing in around $334 million. However, tourism plummeted during COVID-19, and numbers have yet to fully rebound.

Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay acknowledged that while Bhutan can accommodate…