Recently, attention has been drawn to how Bhutan has come up with new ideas in blockchain applications, launching the world’s first truly integrated digital nomad visa fully integrated with crypto infrastructure. This is not just a visa innovation—behind it is also a complete gold-backed token system, which is quite interesting.

The core highlight is the TER token. It is a gold-backed digital asset issued by Bhutan’s Phuntsholing mindfulness city management bureau, and each token represents 0.01 grams of 99.99% pure gold stored in a secure global vault. Visa applicants must load $10,000 worth of TER tokens through DK Bank (which can be fully refunded upon departure), and the annual visa fee of $2,800 is non-refundable. The validity period is 12 months, extendable to 24 to 36 months. There is no fixed minimum income requirement, but the program is mainly aimed at professionals in technology, sustainable development, entrepreneurship, and creative industries.

Technically, the entire system runs on the Solana blockchain because Solana has fast transaction speeds and low fees. Bhutan’s officials describe TER as a stable asset that combines blockchain speed with the reliability of gold backing. Recently, the circulating tokens have exceeded 7.8 million, and the officials claim that this is the first sovereign gold-backed token on Solana.

This move signals Bhutan’s shift away from strict tourism policies. For decades, Bhutanese visitors had to pay $100 to $250 per day and had to travel with a guide. With the new visa, holders can live and work freely across the country without mandatory stay requirements.

Looking at the global context, countries such as Estonia, Portugal, and the United Arab Emirates have digital nomad visas, but none of them have used blockchain to fund deposits or tokenized assets. While El Salvador has adopted cryptocurrencies nationwide, it has also not directly linked gold-backed stablecoins with visa approvals. Bhutan’s model goes beyond mere crypto transactions; it treats TER as a functional requirement of a real government system.

This also reflects Bhutan’s broader blockchain strategy. For years, the country has been using surplus hydropower to mine Bitcoin, and it currently holds more than 10,000 BTC to support long-term plans. Some parts of the country’s national digital identity system are also based on Ethereum.

To be honest, this kind of direct integration between a national visa system and blockchain is still rare worldwide. For those who pay attention to blockchain policy applications, this case is worth learning about in depth. If you want to see how related projects perform on Gate, you can also check the price trends of Solana and its ecosystem assets.