Bhutan Partners with Binance and DK Bank to Launch World’s First National Tourism Payment System

Bhutan became the first country in the world to allow end-to-end crypto payments across its national tourism ecosystem.

According to Binance, the Himalayan kingdom, known for its philosophy of Gross National Happiness, has advanced its tourism payment system with the latest partnership with Binance Pay and DK Bank to create the world’s first national-level crypto tourism payment system.

The South Asian country aims to give travellers and tourists with Binance accounts the option to pay with digital assets for tickets and visa fees, hotel stays, monument entry, tour guides, and probably every part of their journey in Bhutan, including fresh fruit from roadside stalls.

Payment for all services is easy through a network of over 100 supported merchants provided by Binance Pay and DK Bank, Bhutan’s first fully digital bank.

“Thanks to more than 100 local merchants already onboarded by DK Bank and Binance Pay, tourists can now enjoy a truly cashless, cardless experience in one of the world’s most unique travel destinations,” Binance stated.

In addition to simplifying travel logistics, the initiative also eliminates difficulties faced by cross-border tourists, including high transaction and currency exchange fees, limited acceptance of international cards, and the hassle of carrying a huge amount of money around.

The Initiative Helps Small Businesses Go Digital

Particularly, the initiative helps small businesses in remote areas to go digital and experience the innovation and seamless payment method that crypto offers.

“This is more than a payment solution – it’s a commitment to innovation, inclusion, and convenience.” Damcho Rinzin, Director of Bhutan’s Department of Tourism, said.

It also opens the door to economic growth for Bhutanese communities, especially small vendors and rural artisans who have never had access to card terminals or payment infrastructure.

“With the Binance app, travellers can use dynamic or static QR codes to complete secure transactions in real-time. The system supports over 100 cryptocurrencies, including BNB, BTC, and USDC, and settles instantly in local currency through DK Bank.”

Binance stated.

MasterCard Supports End-to-End Stablecoin Transactions

In a similar development, MasterCard recently launched global support for end-to-end stablecoin transactions, allowing consumers and businesses to send and receive stablecoins as easily as traditional bank transactions.

Additionally, the company partnered with OKX to introduce the OKX Card, enabling users to spend digital assets at over 150 million merchant locations worldwide.

Similarly, Henry Duckworth, founder and CEO of AgriDex, explained that African farmers are increasingly adopting stablecoins to bypass high transaction fees and slow cross-border payments caused by the continent’s underdeveloped banking systems.

Henry Duckworth added that stablecoins allow farmers to transact instantly, saving them 3% to 6% per payment through traditional banking. The innovation also helps the farmers avoid losses from volatile local currencies by pricing goods in stable digital assets.