A recent Bloomber report (paywalled) reports how a radical experiment in crypto governance is unfolding in Forest City, Malaysia. The article explains how former Coinbase chief technology officer Balaji Srinivasan is turning a troubled development into a laboratory for blockchain-based nation-building experiments. Bloomberg reports the initiative aims to test whether cryptocurrency, shared ideology, and startup‑style institutions can redefine citizenship and governance beyond traditional territorial models.
At the heart of the project is Network School, a program that has attracted nearly 400 students to the reclaimed island development in Johor. Participants are drawn from tech entrepreneurship and crypto communities and pay $1,500 per month for shared accommodations and a curriculum that blends hands-on coding with ideological seminars.
Mornings are devoted to building crypto projects; afternoons focus on debates about decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), digital sovereignty, and blockchain governance mechanics. The syllabus also examines regional statecraft, including Singapore’s model, as a comparative lens.
- Enrollment: nearly 400 students from crypto and tech entrepreneurship communities
- Cost: $1,500 per month for shared accommodations and programming
- Daily structure: mornings—practical crypto development; afternoons—seminars and debates on governance
- Curriculum includes DAOs, digital sovereignty, blockchain governance mechanics, and regional statecraft
Originally planned to house millions, Forest City today holds only a fraction of that population, making it a practical testing ground for Srinivasan’s vision of “startup societies.” These communities emphasize technological beliefs and cryptocurrency adoption over traditional citizenship frameworks, positing that organized networks and shared values can substitute for historical borders and state institutions.
“Startup societies” — organized networks and shared values intended to substitute for historical borders and state institutions.
The campus adopts a Silicon Valley–like approach to lifestyle and longevity: commercial-grade fitness facilities, protein-heavy diets, and an environment designed to support both physical and intellectual development. The program also weaves in longevity science alongside decentralized governance, reflecting a broader tech-driven ethos.
Balaji Srinivasan’s path to this experiment traces through Silicon Valley: five years as a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz preceded his 2018 role at Coinbase. His earlier public advocacy for a tech “exit” from conventional nation-state constraints helped shape the startup-society concept, and the Forest City initiative represents a practical follow-through on those ideas, moving from theory to on-the-ground governance trials.
As the experiment advances, observers will watch whether its blend of crypto-native governance, communal living, and ideological cohesion can scale, navigate regulatory realities, and offer a viable alternative to existing models of citizenship and statehood in the DeFi and blockchain era.
