多年來，不丹一直使用罕見的貨幣來衡量其經濟和社會發展：幸福和可持續性。

但是，在日益增長的經濟痛苦和腦力消耗的過程中，小型內陸的喜馬拉雅王國正在採用新的進步象徵，這將不丹推動不丹成為領先的角色

Bhutan, the small, landlocked Himalayan kingdom, is best known for measuring its economic and social development using uncommon currencies: happiness and sustainability.

不丹，小型內陸的喜馬拉雅王國，以使用不常見的貨幣來衡量其經濟和社會發展而聞名：幸福和可持續性。

But amid growing economic pains and a brain drain, the country is adopting a new emblem of progress, which is propelling Bhutan into a leading role, globally, in embracing financial innovation: Bitcoin.

但是，在日益增長的經濟痛苦和腦力消耗的情況下，該國採用了一個新的進步象徵，在全球範圍內，不丹在全球範圍內促進了金融創新：比特幣。

Nestled between India and China, Bhutan – also the first country in the world to become carbon negative– has mined millions of dollars in the world’s most popular cryptocurrency in recent years, making an economic bet that almost no other country has, to the same extent.

不丹坐落在印度和中國之間，也是世界上第一個成為碳負面的國家 - 近年來在世界上最受歡迎的加密貨幣中開采了數百萬美元，這使經濟賭注幾乎沒有其他國家在同一程度上。

So, why is Bhutan going big on Bitcoin? How is it mining the energy-intensive cryptocurrency? How much wealth in Bitcoin does the country hold? And is its move risky, given the wild fluctuations in prices that the digital currency has witnessed over the years?

那麼，為什麼不丹在比特幣上大放異彩？它如何挖掘能源密集型加密貨幣？該國擁有多少比特幣的財富？鑑於數字貨幣多年來的價格發生了狂野的波動，它的行動是否有風險？

What is Bitcoin and how do you mine it?

什麼是比特幣，您如何挖掘它？

Bitcoin is the first decentralised, peer-to-peer cryptocurrency, created in 2008. It is not controlled by any government.

比特幣是2008年創建的第一個分散的，點對點的加密貨幣。它不受任何政府的控制。

People can buy and sell cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, and these transactions are recorded on a shared ledger called a blockchain. Bitcoin has value because there is a finite number of Bitcoins that can exist on the blockchain, about 21 million. Most of these coins have been mined and approximately 1 million remain.

人們可以買賣比特幣等加密貨幣，這些交易記錄在一個名為“區塊鏈”的共享分類帳中。比特幣具有價值，因為區塊鏈上可能存在有限數量的比特幣，約有2100萬。這些硬幣中的大多數已被開採，約有100萬個。

Bitcoin mining is the process through which new Bitcoins are officially added to the blockchain. To mine Bitcoin, an energy-guzzling supercomputer needs to solve a complex puzzle. This adds a new digital coin into circulation.

比特幣採礦是正式將新比特幣正式添加到區塊鏈中的過程。要挖掘比特幣，需要耗能的超級計算機需要解決複雜的難題。這將新的數字硬幣添加到發行中。

How is Bhutan mining Bitcoin?

不丹採礦比特幣如何？

Bhutan’s hydropower plants fuel supercomputers that solve complex problems to be rewarded with Bitcoin, which can be added to the blockchain.

不丹的水電廠為超級計算機提供了解決複雜的問題要用比特幣獎勵的問題，可以將其添加到區塊鏈中。

“It’s just a simple strategic choice that many people have made and earned billions of dollars, and I think governments should do it,” Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay said.

“這只是許多人做出和賺取數十億美元的簡單戰略選擇，我認為政府應該這樣做。”

Tobgay explained that during the summer months, there is more water flow and the hydropower plants generate more energy than needed.

Tobgay解釋說，在夏季，水流越多，水力發電廠產生的能量超過了所需的能量。

“That’s where Bitcoin mining makes tremendous sense,” said Tobgay.

托比說：“那是比特幣採礦具有巨大意義的地方。”

Why is Bhutan facing an economic crisis?

不丹為什麼面臨經濟危機？

The country is in the midst of mounting economic challenges, and Bitcoin mining is among a set of steps the nation is taking to fight its way out of the crisis.

該國正面臨經濟挑戰，比特幣採礦是該國正在採取的一系列步驟，以擺脫危機。

The country has no outlet to the sea, and although – at a little more than 38,000 sq km (14,672 sq miles) – it is almost as big as Switzerland, most of this land is not arable due to its mountainous terrain. Bhutan imports most of its food from India, which Tobgay described as the kingdom’s “closest friend and neighbour”.

該國沒有海上的出口，儘管在38,000平方公里（14,672平方英里）的情況下，它幾乎和瑞士一樣大，但由於其山區的地形，這片土地的大部分都無法耕種。不丹從印度進口了大部分食物，托比（Tobgay）將其描述為王國的“最親密的朋友和鄰居”。

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates Bhutan’s gross domestic product (GDP) to be $3.52bn in 2025. Based on this, tourism contributes about 3.4 percent to the country’s GDP.

國際貨幣基金組織（IMF）估計，不丹的國內生產總值（GDP）在2025年為35.2億美元。基於此，旅遊業為該國的GDP貢獻了約3.4％。

However, after COVID-19 shook the industry, Bhutan has struggled to draw people back to visit its mountains, forests and Buddhist shrines.

但是，在Covid-19震驚了該行業之後，不丹一直在努力吸引人們參觀其山區，森林和佛教神社。

Bhutan has long controlled how many tourists it hosts to ensure that its pristine ecology is not affected by a higher footfall than it can manage. It charges a sustainable development fee of $100 to foreign tourists. The only exception to this rule is tourists from India, who have to pay $15. Tobgay says the vision behind this is to attract “high-value and low-volume” tourists.

不丹長期以來一直控制著它主辦多少游客，以確保其原始生態不會受到比其管理更高的影響。它向外國遊客收取100美元的可持續發展費。該規則的唯一例外是印度的遊客，他們必須支付15美元。 Tobgay說，這背後的願景是吸引“高價值和小批量”的遊客。

But now, Bhutan is struggling to get even the limited numbers of tourists it wants. According to Tobgay, the country can host approximately 300,000 tourists every year.

但是現在，不丹正努力獲得甚至有限的遊客。據托比（Tobgay）稱，該國每年可以接待大約30萬遊客。

“Last year, I think about 150,000 tourists visited,” the prime minister said.

總理說：“去年，我認為約有15萬遊客訪問了。”

Bhutan’s youth unemployment rate was 19 percent in 2024. The global average youth unemployment rate in 2023 was 13.6 percent, according to the World Bank.

不丹的青年失業率在2024年為19％。根據世界銀行的數據，2023年的全球平均青年失業率為13.6％。

How might Bitcoin help Bhutan fight its economic challenges?

比特幣如何幫助不丹應對其經濟挑戰？

One of the most potent symptoms of Bhutan’s crisis is the exodus of young, educated people to other countries in recent years – and their departure only compounds the country’s economic struggle.

不丹危機中最有效的症狀之一是近年來年輕，受過教育的人的埃及，他們的離職只會使該國的經濟鬥爭加劇。

In 2022 alone, more than 10 percent of Bhutan’s skilled and educated population left the country.

僅在2022年，不丹熟練和受過教育的人口中有10％以上離開了該國。

Australia, one of the major destination countries, saw its Bhutanese immigrant population more than double in five years between 2016 and 2021.

澳大利亞是主要目的地國家之一，在2016年至2021年期間，其不丹移民人口在五年中的兩倍以上。

“We have jobs in Bhutan but they cannot compete against the wages that they can earn elsewhere in developed countries,” Tobgay said.

托布格說：“我們在不丹有工作，但他們無法與他們在發達國家其他地方賺取的工資競爭。”

This brain drain has also depleted Bhutan’s civil services. There was a sharp increase in civil servants quitting the system services since 2019, with the number of civil servants quitting

這種大腦排水也耗盡了不丹的公務員。自2019年以來，公務員退出系統服務的急劇增加，公務員人數辭職