VICTORIA, Seychelles and GELEPHU, Bhutan, Aug. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Bitget, the world's leading Universal Exchange, has signed a cooperation agreement with the Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority, marking a step toward establishing a local presence in Gelephu Mindfulness City, Bhutan.

The agreement sets out a framework for Bitget to establish a legal presence in GMC, prepare an application for the relevant Financial Services Licence under the regulatory framework administered by the Gelephu Financial Services Office, and work with GMCA on operational, regulatory and ecosystem-building workstreams. The cooperation is intended to support the growth of the digital asset ecosystem in GMC, subject to the required approvals.

“Bhutan is approaching digital assets with a rare mix of long-term thinking, clean-energy advantage and regulatory clarity,” said Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget. “GMC is the emerging hotbed for digital finance, and Bitget looks forward to contributing exchange experience, infrastructure knowledge and local talent development as this ecosystem grows.”

Bhutan has become one of the most closely watched sovereign stories in digital assets. The country has used its hydropower resources to support green cryptocurrency mining as part of a broader strategy to stimulate economic growth, create new employment pathways and retain young talent.

GMC adds a new dimension to this story. As a Special Administrative Region in southern Bhutan, GMC is being developed as a next-generation international financial and innovation hub. Its financial services and virtual asset regime is governed by the Financial Services Act 2025 and subsidiary rulebooks, with firms carrying on regulated financial services or virtual asset activities in or from GMC required to obtain a Financial Services Licence from the GFSO.

“Our objective is to build a world-class digital asset ecosystem founded on robust regulation, institutional standards and long-term economic value. Partners such as Bitget play an important role in bringing global expertise while contributing to the development of local capabilities and the broader financial ecosystem,” said Jigdrel Singay, Board Director of Gelephu Mindfulness City.

Bhutan's broader openness to responsible digital innovation has already drawn international attention. In Dec 2025, through the Bitcoin Development Pledge, Bhutan has signalled its long-term commitment to responsibly integrating digital assets into its economic development strategy, while fostering an ecosystem built on sound regulation, institutional participation and long-term value creation.

Through this cooperation, Bitget intends to contribute global exchange experience, market infrastructure knowledge and digital asset industry expertise to GMC's emerging ecosystem. The planned local setup includes local hiring and office presence over time, helping support GMC's wider focus on substance, talent development, knowledge transfer and long-term capability building.

About Bitget

Bitget is the world's largest Universal Exchange (UEX), serving over 125 million users and offering access to over 2M crypto tokens, 500+ tokenized stocks, ETFs, commodities, FX, and precious metals such as gold. The ecosystem is committed to helping users trade smarter with its AI agent, which co-pilots trade execution. Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships such as MotoGP™. Aligned with its global impact strategy, Bitget has joined hands with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. Bitget currently leads in the tokenized TradFi market, providing the industry's lowest fees and highest liquidity across 150 regions worldwide.

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About Gelephu Mindfulness City

The Gelephu Mindfulness City Special Administrative Region is a visionary initiative creating a world-class economic hub in southern Bhutan, centered on mindfulness, sustainability, and innovation. The SAR integrates traditional Bhutanese values with globally recognized legal frameworks, cutting-edge design and technology, while harnessing the Kingdom's abundant renewable energy resources to serve as a global exemplar of holistic development.

For more information, visit www.gmc.bt or contact info@gmc.bt

Investment inquiries: invest@gmc.bt

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9844bc4e-17d8-4724-af40-c4fa909e340a