Bhutan embraces crypto tourism with Binance-backed payment system
text_fields
Bhutan is set to transform its tourism experience by integrating cryptocurrency payments into its travel sector.
In partnership with Binance and DK Bank, the country has announced a new crypto payment system that will allow tourists to use digital currencies for a wide range of travel-related expenses.
Travellers visiting Bhutan will soon be able to pay for flight tickets, visa fees, hotel accommodations, monument entry, tour guides, and even street shopping using cryptocurrencies. This move aims to eliminate currency exchange hassles and expand payment options, especially for tourists who face limitations using international credit cards.
The system will operate through Binance Pay, with DK Bank - Bhutan’s first fully digital financial institution - handling crypto-to-fiat conversions. Over 100 local merchants have already signed up to accept crypto payments, making it easier for tourists to use digital tokens such as Bitcoin, USDC, and others.
To use this system, tourists need to register on the Binance app.
While booking flights and hotels remains similar to traditional online methods, retail purchases will involve scanning merchant QR codes linked to the Binance Pay network.
Binance emphasised that the initiative is designed to empower small vendors and rural artisans, many of whom have never had access to card terminals or digital payment infrastructure. The collaboration is expected to create new economic opportunities for Bhutanese communities by making tourism more inclusive and technologically advanced.
Bhutan has been progressively warming up to digital assets.
In December 2024, the country officially recognised crypto assets as a legitimate class within its economic hub, Gelephu Mindfulness City. Earlier in September, reports suggested that Druk Holdings, the kingdom’s investment arm, had been accumulating Bitcoin through local mining operations.
Although cryptocurrencies are not yet legal tender in Bhutan, this initiative marks a major step in crypto adoption within the region’s travel and tourism sector.
