Sherab Lhamo

In celebration of the 44th Anniversary of His Majesty the King, Druk Holding and Investments (DHI) will officially launch Bhutanverse on The Sandbox’s open Metaverse platform today.

The metaverse is a vast virtual world on the internet, enabling diverse interactions, exploration, shopping, gaming, event attendance, and collaboration.

Bhutanverse offers global users an immersive experience of Bhutan’s culture, history, and philosophy, incorporating unique Bhutanese motifs, art, and architecture.

The inaugural version features an Art Gallery co-created with TheUpsideSpace, spotlighting NFTs developed by local Bhutanese artists.

The creative space designed by Bhutanese developers offers interactive quests based on captivating storylines from Bhutan’s history and folklore.

Bhutanverse aims to forge strategic partnerships with global metaverse players to broaden its impact and reach.

Ujjwal Deep Dahal, CEO of DHI, said Bhutanverse serves as a gateway for worldwide audiences to engage with Bhutan’s natural and cultural heritage, exploring the possibilities of Web3 technologies.

Bhutanverse is a collaboration with Smobler, a metaverse architecture agency, and The Sandbox, a leading virtual gaming world. Following its unveiling at the FAB23 Bhutan Conference in Thimphu in July, Bhutanverse held an open Design Challenge inviting local talents to contribute to its development.

Participants underwent intensive Metaverse training facilitated by DHI and Smobler, utilising tools like VoxEdit and GameMaker to bring their concepts to life.

Loretta Chen, Co-Founder and CEO of Smobler, lauds the project as a realisation of a dream, emphasising the balance between innovation and cultural preservation.

Sujal Nepal one of the team members reflects on the transformative journey of building Bhutanverse, showcasing Bhutan’s beauty in the digital realm and unveiling new opportunities.

Phuntsho Namgay, Officiating Director at DHI’s Department of Innovation and Technology, underscores the alignment of the project with Bhutanese values and culture, signalling plans for future impactful initiatives and community growth.