The Bhutan Sovereign Investment Fund will operate the validator node on the Sei blockchain, a network that has processed over 4 billion transactions and connected 80 million crypto asset addresses.
The Kingdom of Bhutan is preparing to become a validator on the Sei blockchain through Druk Holding and Investments Ltd, the country's sovereign wealth fund. The Sei Development Foundation, the organization behind the Sei blockchain, has just announced a partnership with DHI, in which the foundation will deploy and operate a network node expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2026.
Druk Holding and Investments was established in 2007 and manages stakes in 25 companies operating in key sectors of the Bhutanese economy, from energy and finance to telecommunications and real estate. DHI also invests in innovative technology and digital asset development, viewing this as a strategic direction for the long-term development of this nation of approximately 800,000 people.
The project, implemented by InnoTech, a subsidiary of DHI, is partially funded by Sapien Capital, an investment entity focused on promoting science and innovation within the Sei ecosystem. Phuntsho Namgay, Head of Innovation and Technology at DHI, stated that the Bhutanese government views this initiative as a component of its national digital transformation program, aiming to build a technical foundation for fintech solutions, data valuation and commercialization, asset Tokenize , and the implementation of new economic incentives domestically.
Expanding national blockchain capabilities
Eleonor Davies, Head of Science and Innovation at the Sei Development Foundation, noted that the deployment of the validator node aims to build Bhutan's national capacity in blockchain infrastructure and expand the Sei validator network globally. This move reflects a growing trend of smaller nations directly participating in blockchain infrastructure as part of their technology development strategies.
Sei is a high-performance, EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain that has processed over 4 billion transactions since its launch. The network leads the EVM network group in active users, with over 80 million connected crypto asset addresses, demonstrating significant appeal within the blockchain development and user community. Sei 's EVM compatibility allows developers to easily port applications from Ethereum and other compatible blockchains without completely rewriting the source code.
DHI's participation as a validator node not only brings technical benefits but also generates potential revenue from transaction validation rewards on the network. For a country like Bhutan, which already has experience in cryptocurrency mining thanks to its abundant hydropower resources and low energy costs, expanding into the validator Vai marks a natural progression in the nation's digital asset strategy.
Previously, the Sei team signed an agreement with Chinese technology company Xiaomi, under which Xiaomi's mobile devices will integrate Sei's crypto asset services. This chain of partnerships shows Sei is pursuing a dual strategy to expand both its infrastructure network through national validators and its user access through integration with consumer devices.
The combination of a sovereign wealth fund and a high-performance blockchain platform reflects a new trend in which countries are not merely users but also builders of infrastructure for the global digital economy.
