Startup Societies Foundation is landing in Singapore for Token 2049 Week 🌏 On October 1 and 2 we’ll be at Draper House for the Network State Side Event. Days full of coworking, evenings with casual meetups, and the chance to share ideas with builders, researchers, and

📌 Quote of the Week! Sevan Chorluyan presents the Federated Fractal Network-State—a model where governance starts with individuals and scales to federations through receipt-tokens, autonomy, and accountability. Read in Journal of Special Jurisdictions, Issue , Issue V. 🔗

📌 Quote of the Week! Ryan Yonk and Randy Simmons argue that communities don’t always need regulation to resolve disputes. Their taxonomy highlights how private law, civil society, and exchange can create practical solutions while fostering respect and responsibility. By looking

📌 Quote of the Week! Maxwell Tabarrok links two of humanity’s greatest challenges—climate change and poverty—to a single lever: clean, abundant energy. His article argues that stagnation in U.S. energy growth since the 1970s is less about technology and more about regulatory

Only one day to go! 🌍 Tomorrow we meet at the Startup Societies Café for our next session featuring Itana, Africa’s first Digital Free Zone for technology and service-based businesses. Our guest Adetayo Oduwole, Director of Business and Compliance at Itana, will share how this

📌 Quote of the Week! The spread of blockchain networks and distributed communities raises a fundamental question: which legal system can they rely on? Prof. Tom W. Bell proposes Ulex, a framework that adapts tested private law into an open-source format, designed to operate

📌 Quote of the Week! Claudio Shikida & Isabela Christo analyze Lithium Valley in Minas Gerais as a testing ground for institutional innovation. Their study shows how Special Economic Zones could align local elite incentives toward growth instead of rent-seeking, while also

📌 Quote of the Week! Nathalie Mezza-Garcia reminds us that no special jurisdiction exists in isolation. Like Russian dolls, they are nested within larger governance systems that shape their autonomy and limitations. Her article examines how these legal layers—from national

📌 Quote of the Week! Anya Vanecek and Sam Mulopulos propose Medical Countermeasure Manufacturing Zones (MCM MZs) as a new policy tool to strengthen public health preparedness. These specialized jurisdictions would encourage companies to reshore essential production, cluster

Join us for the next session of the Startup Societies Café, featuring Próspera, one of the most ambitious startup city projects in the world. Our guest Lonis Hamaili, Vice President of Growth at Próspera, will share how the community on Roatán is building a new model for living,

The date for the Startup Societies Café with Próspera has changed. The session will now take place on Thursday, December 4. This edition of the Café features Lonis Hamaili, Vice President of Growth at Próspera, one of the most ambitious start up city projects in the world. He

📌 Quote of the Week! Darcy W.E. Allen and Aaron M. Lane examine how blockchain governance can evolve into cryptodemocracy—a system where code and constitution blend to safeguard individual freedom. Their article explores how cryptodemocratic models create transparency,

Only one day to go! Tomorrow we meet at the Startup Societies Café for our next session featuring Próspera, one of the most ambitious startup city projects in the world. Our guest Lonis Hamaili, Vice President of Growth at Próspera, will share how the community on Roatán is

📌 Quote of the Week! Carlos Fortín examines ZEDEs from a constitutional and legal perspective, focusing on how these jurisdictions aim to provide stronger public services while reducing the burdens that slow economic activity. His analysis shows how ZEDEs were designed to

Tom W. Bell presents special jurisdictions as practical laboratories where governments can adjust rules and observe real outcomes. His work shows how these controlled settings have reshaped economic policy in multiple regions, including China’s use of SEZs, which supported

Luis Freisler examines how SEZs function as legal platforms that shape investment, innovation, and institutional reform. His analysis shows that what makes these zones effective is not the territory itself but the ability to redesign rules, so economic activity can grow under

📌 Quote of the Week! Isabela Christo examines how SEZs can reposition Brazil in global investment flows, especially as Chinese firms search for predictable environments to operate abroad. Her argument is that the value of an SEZ comes from the legal architecture surrounding it.

Sealand is the OG of Startup Society projects. It’s probably older than many of the people reading this. We opened the first Startup Societies Café with Prince Liam Bates and Prince James Bates, reflecting on what it actually takes to sustain an unconventional political project

In the second session of the Startup Societies Café, we spoke with Janine Leger about how Edge City operates as a society incubator dedicated to advancing human flourishing. Monthlong popup villages, shared space, and real work. Ideas tested through living and building together.

📖 Issue VI of the Journal of Special Jurisdictions is now available. What makes a special jurisdiction work in practice? This issue looks closely at the legal and institutional choices that shape autonomy, access, and long-term viability. The papers explore how jurisdictions