Share this article
Bhutan Debuts TER Gold-Backed Token on Solana
The Himalayan kingdom introduced TER, a Solana-based token backed by physical gold and issued through Gelephu Mindfulness City.
Dec 11, 2025, 2:00 a.m.
Make us preferred on Google
What to know:
- Bhutan introduced TER, a sovereign-supported gold-backed token issued via Gelephu Mindfulness City and custodied by DK Bank, offering a blockchain-based representation of physical gold.
- The token runs on Solana, giving international investors digital portability and on-chain transparency while mimicking the experience of traditional gold purchases.
- TER follows Kyrgyzstan’s USDKG launch, highlighting a growing trend of smaller nations issuing asset-backed digital currencies tied to audited reserves as part of broader economic and technological strategies.
Bhutan is extending its national blockchain strategy with a gold-backed digital token issued by Gelephu Mindfulness City and supported by the Kingdom’s sovereign framework.
The TER token is designed to act as a new bridge between traditional value stores and blockchain-based finance, according to an emailed announcement on Thursday.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
Tokens are being issued on Solana, with distribution and custody handled by DK Bank, Bhutan’s first licensed digital bank. In the first phase, investors can acquire TER directly through DK Bank, combining the familiarity of traditional asset purchases with the transparency of on-chain ownership.
TER is designed to offer international investors an accessible, tokenized version of gold but with the benefits of digital custody and global transferability, the release said.
Bhutan's Gelephu Mindfulness City is a special administrative region designed to attract global investment, using digital assets for its financial reserves and innovation ecosystem, forming a key part of Bhutan's blockchain strategy to diversify its economy and create a digitally-focused future.
Bhutan’s announcement comes just days after Kyrgyzstan unveiled USDKG, a gold-backed stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, with an initial issuance of $50 million — representing one of Central Asia’s first state-supervised digital-asset initiatives.
TER and USDKG demonstrate a pattern of small nations using blockchain to fuse traditional assets like gold with regulated digital finance — offering a new template for digital-asset development rooted in tangible, audited reserves.
AI Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy.
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Coinbase CEO says Big banks now view crypto as an ‘existential’ threat to their business
Brian Armstrong returns from World Economic Forum with message: traditional finance is taking crypto seriously
What to know:
- Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said a top executive at one of the world’s 10 largest banks told him crypto is now the bank’s “number one priority” and an “existential” issue.
- At Davos, Armstrong highlighted tokenization of assets and stablecoins as major themes, arguing they could broaden access to investments for billions while threatening to bypass traditional banks.
- He described the Trump administration as the most crypto-forward government globally, backing efforts like the CLARITY Act, and predicted that AI agents will increasingly use stablecoins for payments outside conventional banking rails.
Top Stories
