Key Takeaways
- • 3iQ Corp. has secured a dedicated mandate to manage a portion of Gelephu Mindfulness City's (GMC) Bitcoin reserves, representing a significant institutional-grade digital asset management contract in Bhutan's new financial hub.
- • Up to 10,000 Bitcoin from Bhutan's national holdings were allocated in December 2025 to support GMC's development, with 3iQ now deployed to strategically manage a portion of these reserves.
- • The partnership includes 3iQ establishing a long-term operational presence in Gelephu Mindfulness City, investing in local talent development and knowledge transfer to build institutional-grade digital asset infrastructure.
- • Anchorage Digital, America's first federally regulated crypto bank, has been selected as the infrastructure and custody partner, establishing an institutional-grade operational framework for the reserves.
- • The strategic alliance positions GMC as Bhutan's emerging digital offshore financial hub, combining the country's sovereign capital with proven institutional digital asset management expertise.
Summary
3iQ Corp., a global digital asset investment solutions firm, has formed a strategic partnership with Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), a Special Administrative Region in southern Bhutan, to manage a dedicated portion of GMC's Bitcoin reserves. The announcement marks a significant institutional deployment of Bhutan's sovereign digital assets, following the country's December 2025 decision to allocate up to 10,000 Bitcoin from its national holdings to support the development of GMC as a specialized financial center.
Under the partnership terms, 3iQ will manage a dedicated mandate backed by GMC's Bitcoin treasury while establishing a long-term operational presence within the city. Beyond asset management, the engagement encompasses local talent development and knowledge transfer initiatives designed to build institutional-grade digital asset management capabilities within Bhutan. This approach reflects GMC's strategy of pairing national capital with proven, institutional-quality expertise to develop a sophisticated digital asset ecosystem.
GMC's selection of 3iQ as its primary partner was based on the firm's established reputation for institutional robustness and demonstrated track record in digital asset management. According to Pascal St-Jean, Director and CEO of 3iQ, the firm views the mandate as "a significant responsibility" undertaken with full institutional discipline. The partnership positions GMC as Bhutan's emerging digital offshore financial hub, combining sovereign capital deployment with institutional-grade infrastructure and governance.
Anchorage Digital, the federally regulated crypto bank and infrastructure provider, has been designated as the custody and infrastructure partner for the arrangement, ensuring compliance with institutional standards and regulatory frameworks. This custodial structure underscores the institutional character of the mandate and the commitment to maintaining rigorous operational standards for sovereign asset management.
The strategic alliance represents a meaningful development in institutional adoption of digital assets at the sovereign level, demonstrating how nation-states are deploying Bitcoin reserves through established, regulated financial service providers to simultaneously achieve capital deployment objectives and build emerging financial hubs with specialized digital asset capabilities.
Under the partnership terms, 3iQ will manage a dedicated mandate backed by GMC's Bitcoin treasury while establishing a long-term operational presence within the city. Beyond asset management, the engagement encompasses local talent development and knowledge transfer initiatives designed to build institutional-grade digital asset management capabilities within Bhutan. This approach reflects GMC's strategy of pairing national capital with proven, institutional-quality expertise to develop a sophisticated digital asset ecosystem.
GMC's selection of 3iQ as its primary partner was based on the firm's established reputation for institutional robustness and demonstrated track record in digital asset management. According to Pascal St-Jean, Director and CEO of 3iQ, the firm views the mandate as "a significant responsibility" undertaken with full institutional discipline. The partnership positions GMC as Bhutan's emerging digital offshore financial hub, combining sovereign capital deployment with institutional-grade infrastructure and governance.
Anchorage Digital, the federally regulated crypto bank and infrastructure provider, has been designated as the custody and infrastructure partner for the arrangement, ensuring compliance with institutional standards and regulatory frameworks. This custodial structure underscores the institutional character of the mandate and the commitment to maintaining rigorous operational standards for sovereign asset management.
The strategic alliance represents a meaningful development in institutional adoption of digital assets at the sovereign level, demonstrating how nation-states are deploying Bitcoin reserves through established, regulated financial service providers to simultaneously achieve capital deployment objectives and build emerging financial hubs with specialized digital asset capabilities.
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