Building Real-World Blockchain Technology in Bhutan

Kostas Chalkias, Chief Cryptographer at Mysten Labs, argues that blockchain infrastructure must work when the internet is unavailable, and describes a Bhutan test in which sensor data reached the Sui blockchain without a direct connection. Devices in remote areas sign a message, which is carried by long-range radio relays and, where radio fails, by drones through several hops to a gateway with internet access. The message is then verified and published on Sui. The approach compresses transactions to their minimum size and has sensors sign on-device, so signatures stay valid regardless of how many relays handle the data. The article describes this as a proof of concept rather than a product launch.