Bhutan’s Bold Move: Solana-Powered Sovereign Gold Token TER Shakes Traditional Finance

Forget central bank digital currencies—Bhutan just leapfrogged the entire conversation. The Himalayan kingdom is minting its future on the blockchain, launching a sovereign gold-backed token that runs on Solana. It’s a direct shot across the bow of traditional monetary systems.

The Mechanics: Gold Goes Digital

TER isn't another speculative crypto asset. Each token is a digital claim on physical gold held in reserve. By building on Solana, Bhutan bypasses the sluggish, expensive settlement layers of legacy finance. Transactions finalize in seconds for fractions of a cent—a stark contrast to the multi-day, fee-laden processes of the old guard.

Why This Cuts Deep

This isn't just a tech experiment; it's a sovereign strategy. Tokenizing a national gold reserve creates a programmable, borderless asset. It opens doors for international trade settlement, citizen-based savings instruments, and a hedge against currency volatility—all without asking permission from the global financial club. It turns a passive store of value into an active financial tool.

The Ripple Effect

Watch for other nations, especially those with substantial commodities or foreign reserves, to explore similar paths. Bhutan’s move validates a model where state assets meet decentralized efficiency. It proves that blockchain’s killer app for governments might not be creating new money, but supercharging the old, reliable kind.

Of course, traditional bankers will call it a gimmick—right up until their clients start asking why their own gold holdings can’t be traded as easily as sending a text. The future of value isn't just digital; it's executable, and it's being built on chains far from Wall Street's echo chamber.

Bhutan Opens Direct Bank Sales for Its Tokenized Gold Asset

In the first phase, investors will be able to acquire the token directly through the bank, creating a bridge between familiar gold-purchase processes and transparent, on-chain ownership.

Officials say the structure allows international buyers to access a tokenized FORM of gold that retains the mobility, settlement efficiency and global reach of digital assets.

TER is also a flagship project for Gelephu Mindfulness City, a special administrative zone designed to attract international capital and nurture Bhutan’s digital economy.

The city forms a key pillar of the Kingdom’s broader strategy to diversify its economy with technology-led initiatives that align with cultural and sustainability priorities.

Bhutan’s MOVE comes shortly after Kyrgyzstan unveiled USDKG, a state-supervised gold-backed stablecoin, highlighting a growing trend in which smaller nations use blockchain to modernize the management of safe-haven assets.

Gelephu Mindfulness City is launching TER, the world’s first sovereign-backed, physical gold-backed digital token, on Dec 17, 2025. Built on Solana, issued via DK Bank, and powered by Matrixdock tech, TER brings Bhutan’s “Treasure” on-chain with full transparency.… pic.twitter.com/HmJVGh4qPB

Beyond its role as a new investment instrument, TER underscores Bhutan’s ambition to build a sovereign-aligned digital finance ecosystem rooted in audited reserves and institutional safeguards.

DK Bank’s regulated infrastructure is intended to give both domestic and global investors confidence in custody and compliance standards.

Solana’s high-speed, low-cost network provides the technical foundation for the token, with its performance and environmental efficiency cited as deciding factors.

The launch fits into a broader national program of digital experimentation. Bhutan has woven digital assets into its strategic reserves, deployed blockchain-based identity systems, enabled crypto-powered payments and Leveraged hydropower to mine Bitcoin.

The introduction of TER marks the latest step in that evolution, giving Bhutan a distinctive position in the growing market for state-backed tokenized assets.

SC Ventures-Backed Libeara Launches Tokenized Gold Fund

On Monday, Libeara, the blockchain infrastructure platform backed by Standard Chartered’s venture arm SC Ventures, rolled out a new tokenized Gold investment fund in Singapore, bringing one of the world’s oldest safe-haven assets onto digital rails.

The fund, launched in partnership with FundBridge Capital, allows professional investors to gain exposure to gold through blockchain-based tokens issued on Libeara’s ledger.

In a recent research, Web3 digital property firm Animoca Brands said that tokenization of RWAs could unlock a $400 trillion traditional finance market.

Animoca researchers Andrew Ho and Ming Ruan said the global market for private credit, treasury debt, commodities, stocks, alternative funds, and bonds represents a vast runway for growth.

“The estimated $400 trillion addressable TradFi market underscores the potential growth runway for RWA tokenization,” they wrote.

Meanwhile, according to the 2025 Skynet RWA Security Report, the market for tokenized RWAs could grow to $16 trillion by 2030.