After years of stealthily accumulating Bitcoin (BTC), the Kingdom of Bhutan is gradually expanding its footprint in the global cryptocurrency arena. Hot on the heels of its meeting with the Sultanate of Oman for potential Bitcoin mining cooperation, the Eastern Himalayan nation has revealed its newly forged alliance with Binance Pay and DK Bank for its domestic cryptocurrency tourism payment system.

Bhutan’s ‘One Wallet, Once Journey’ Crypto Payments Initiative
According to an announcement on Binance, the initiative offers travelers a more convenient way to pay for tourism goods and services in Bhutan directly from their Binance accounts. These include airline ticket costs, land travel fares, visa fees, hotel accommodation expenses, tour guides, entry fees for historical landmarks, souvenirs, and food products, even in roadside stalls. This means they will no longer have to search for money exchanges to convert their fiat currencies into the country’s legal tender at a hefty fee or worry about carrying large amounts of cash throughout their journey. In In addition, it saves them from the high conversion and hidden fees banks impose on their credit/debit cards for cross-border transactions.

Bhutan has already onboarded 100 local merchants in its “One Wallet, One Journey” program through its partnership with Binance Pay and DK Bank.

How It Works
Tourists must have the Binance app installed on their mobile devices. Of course, their crypto wallets should have an adequate balance to cover their expenses, and they have to ensure that the program accepts their tokens. With it, all they have to do is scan the static QR codes of participating establishments to complete their transactions in real-time.

The service supports over 100 cryptos, including Bitcoin, Ethereum (ETH), and other mainstream altcoins. It’s also compatible with stablecoins like USDC.

DK Bank immediately settles the transactions in Bhutan’s local currency.

One Step Forward To Greater Financial Inclusion
Damcho Rinzin, Director of the Bhutan Department of Tourism, believes the initiative does more than modernize payment systems. It also creates new opportunities for unbanked individuals or those without immediate access to card terminals or payment infrastructure to participate in the digital payments network.

“This is more than a payment solution—it’s a commitment to innovation, inclusion, and convenience,” said Rinzin.

Furthermore, Richard Teng, CEO of Binance, praised Bhutan’s move. For him, it demonstrates the blockchain’s capability to connect people, cultures, and economies across borders.

“We are excited to partner with Bhutan as we are not only advancing the use of cryptocurrencies in travel but also setting a precedent for how technology can bridge cultures and economies,” stated the Binance boss.

The Royal Government of Bhutan’s crypto portfolio (through Druk Holdings) is currently valued at $1.171 billion. It holds 12.062K BTC and 656.012 ETH based on Arkham Intelligence data.