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Bhutan
Statue of a Buddhist goddess in Bhutan (Sergi Reboredo/Getty Images)
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Bhutan joins bitcoin-stockpiling surge

The nation joins a slew of other countries hoarding crypto, a trend predicted to accelerate this year.

Yaël Bizouati-Kennedy

As the global race heats up to stockpile bitcoin and create crypto national strategic reserves, Bhutan’s Gelephu Mindfulness City (a new special administration region) announced its “intention to recognize digital assets such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and BNB as part of its strategic reserves” on January 8.

Bhutan now holds $1.1 billion in bitcoin (11,688), $2.18 million in ethereum, and a slew of other coins, according to Arkham data. 

The US holds the most bitcoin, at 198,109. It also holds $181.9 million in ethereum. There’s continued momentum as Trump enters office to create a national bitcoin strategic reserve, which could grow America’s stockpile to 1 million bitcoin.

Earlier this week, El Salvador, an early champion of bitcoin (it was the first to make bitcoin a legal tender in 2021), announced it added to its hoard, buying 11 bitcoin in December. The country now holds 6,022 bitcoin.

Fidelity Digital Assets recently said in its 2025 Look Ahead report that it expects the trend of nations acquiring bitcoin to accelerate this year.

Yaël Bizouati-Kennedy is a financial journalist who’s written for Dow Jones, The Financial Times Group, and Business Insider, among others.

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Justin Sun sues Trump-backed World Liberty over frozen tokens

Crypto billionaire Justin Sun, owner of the world’s most expensive banana, was named an adviser to World Liberty Financial the day after investing $30 million in the project. (He’d later boost that with $45 million more.) Sun has long been a supporter of President Trump, and has not once, but twice topped a competition to amass the most $TRUMP coins. But it seems even for Sun, the gold has turned brass.

Sun announced on social media that he’s filed a lawsuit in a California federal court against the crypto project backed by Trump. 

The lawsuit alleges World Liberty engaged in an “illegal scheme to seize property” and “positioned itself as the new boogeyman” by stripping Sun of his governance rights, threatening to burn his WLFI tokens, and freezing his stash, which at times were worth $1 billion, according to the complaint dated on Tuesday. 

“I have tried in good faith to resolve this situation with the World Liberty project team without resorting to litigation,” Sun wrote in a lengthy X post on Tuesday night. “But the project team has refused my requests to unfreeze my tokens and restore my rights as a token holder. They have left me with no choice but to turn to the courts.”

The complaint also alleged that World Liberty appears to be in financial trouble, citing concerns over whether the project can repay an on-chain loan that was collateralized by using, at the time, $5 billion worth of WLFI. The token reached an all-time low less than two weeks ago.

Despite the escalation with World Liberty, Sun said the lawsuit does not change his feelings about Trump or his administration. “I have always been — and remain — an ardent supporter of President Trump and his Administration’s efforts to make America crypto friendly,” he said. 

Blockchain billionaire Sun takes Trump family’s crypto firm to court

Blockchain billionaire Sun takes Trump family’s crypto firm to court

The lawsuit alleges World Liberty engaged in an “illegal scheme to seize property” and “positioned itself as the new boogeyman” by stripping Sun of his governance rights, threatening to burn his WLFI tokens, and freezing his stash, which at times were worth $1 billion, according to the complaint dated on Tuesday. 

“I have tried in good faith to resolve this situation with the World Liberty project team without resorting to litigation,” Sun wrote in a lengthy X post on Tuesday night. “But the project team has refused my requests to unfreeze my tokens and restore my rights as a token holder. They have left me with no choice but to turn to the courts.”

The complaint also alleged that World Liberty appears to be in financial trouble, citing concerns over whether the project can repay an on-chain loan that was collateralized by using, at the time, $5 billion worth of WLFI. The token reached an all-time low less than two weeks ago.

Despite the escalation with World Liberty, Sun said the lawsuit does not change his feelings about Trump or his administration. “I have always been — and remain — an ardent supporter of President Trump and his Administration’s efforts to make America crypto friendly,” he said. 

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