Event - The Network State, Radical Life Extension and Crypto Cities - Sao Paulo

Last week, on a holiday eve in São Paulo for work, I found myself at a surprising event hosted by Infinita City, a project dedicated to reimagining governance through technology. This community is a network city where founders build towards longevity through biotech, computation, and science, first hub based in Próspera, Roatán. The event, was a deep dive into the concepts of network states, crypto cities, and the tools needed to make them a reality.

Challenging the Foundations of Governance with Network States

The concept of a network state, as popularized by Balaji Srinivasan in The Network State, is a revolutionary idea that challenges the foundations of traditional governance. Unlike nation-states, which operate on systems rooted in high communication costs and geographic constraints, network states leverage the internet, blockchain, and decentralized technologies to create communities that transcend borders. They enable new forms of social and political participation by aligning people around shared values and goals, rather than arbitrary geographic boundaries. At the event, this idea came to life as Niklas Anzinger explored how we can rethink institutions, governance, and civic engagement for the digital age.

Zuzalu, Prospera, and the Rise of Crypto Cities

The event highlighted real-world examples of this transformation, such as Zuzalu and Prospera. Zuzalu, pioneered by Vitalik Buterin, is a pop-up city model that brings online communities into physical spaces, fostering collaboration and innovation. It has inspired hundreds of experiments worldwide. Prospera, located in Roatán, Honduras, is another fascinating example—a startup city with its own jurisdiction and land. During the event, Niklas Anzinger, CEO of Infinita City, spoke about how these crypto cities are creating enabling environments for digital businesses.

The Need for Digital Infrastructure: Tools for the Commons

A key takeaway from the event was the critical role of digital infrastructure in making network states and crypto cities viable. Hugo Mathecowitsch, founder of Tools for the Commons, addressed this with his initiative focused on developing legal, economic, and digital tools to empower decentralized communities. From programmable currency and credit systems to sovereign digital assets, Tools for the Commons is building the foundational infrastructure needed for self-sovereign governance. This includes frameworks for global commerce, financial access via blockchain, and innovative governance models that prioritize the needs of the "commons" — the shared resources and systems that communities rely on. The presentation underscored how essential these tools are for creating sustainable, scalable network societies.

Descentralized hubs vs The Role of CBDCs and DREX

One good takeaway is how those initiatives should coexist or integrate with emerging financial systems, such as Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). Here in Brazil, DREX is currently on development, but network cities provide higher freedom to test how the tokenized future will look, allowing for real-world trials of digital transactions, smart contracts, and interoperability with blockchain-based systems. For projects like Infinita City to succeed, integrating with CBDCs like DREX will be trivial, as their foundations ensure seamless financial operations and easy adoption within regulated frameworks while maintaining the innovative spirit of decentralized governance.

Join the Movement: Opportunities to Participate

One of the most exciting aspects is that there is an invitation to get involved in these projects. Niklas shared an opportunity to visit Prospera and Infinita City during their "Builders' Residency" in June 2025, focused on Crypto Cities (details at https://infinita.city/crypto-cities). It’s a chance to co-work in a tropical paradise while contributing to a futuristic city with crypto-friendly legislation. A travel guide for Prospera is available at https://www.prospera.co/en/visit.

They also shared a opportunity here in Brazil, Ipê City! Ipê Village is a month-long experimental city where selected global talents will colive, learn, and prototype solutions and a governance system for the city of the future, leveraging AI and blockchain technologies. See more on their website https://www.ipe.city/.

Whether helping to design these new societies or as a citizen participating in their growth, there’s a role for everyone in this movement.