Bhutan’s Hackathon Generates 13 Innovative Solutions for Decentralised Digital ID

Bhutan recently held its first international hackathon, which showcased 13 innovative solutions aimed at enhancing public service delivery through decentralised technologies. The solutions leveraged Bhutan’s National Digital Identity (NDI) and other technologies such as blockchain, zero-knowledge proofs, and self-sovereign identity (SSI). These solutions addressed a wide range of issues, from land fraud prevention and migrant worker compliance to authenticating artisan products and enabling public feedback for policymaking. The hackathon, held from June 25 to 27 in Paro, Bhutan, attracted both local and international teams, culminating in two winners. The local team Cyberchain developed an app to connect Bhutanese artisans with buyers, while the international team DeepGov created an AI-powered survey app to boost civic participation in policymaking. Both teams received significant funding to refine their solutions and were offered incubation support from Bhutan’s TechPark. Additionally, all projects would be open-sourced, allowing for further development and integration into public services. The event was supported by the Ethereum Foundation and also aimed to build international networks for Bhutanese developers in the decentralised identity space.