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0 commentsIn a bold and unconventional move that has drawn international attention, Indian-American tech entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan has acquired a private island near Singapore, taking the first tangible step towards building what he calls a “Network State” — a decentralised, digital-first nation for startup founders, technologists, and digital nomads.
Mr Srinivasan, best known for his leadership roles in companies like Coinbase and Counsyl, envisions a future where like-minded individuals, connected initially via the internet, can come together to create sovereign communities grounded in shared values, economic autonomy, and technological progress.
The initiative’s first prototype, The Network School, was launched in September 2024 on the island. It is a live-in, three-month residency programme that blends rigorous intellectual inquiry with physical development. Residents attend lectures on artificial intelligence, blockchain governance, and startup economics, while also engaging in daily fitness regimes. The goal? To “revitalise democracy for the internet era” and produce well-rounded builders of a future society.
“We got an island. That’s right. Through the power of Bitcoin, we now have a beautiful island near Singapore where we're building the Network School,” Mr Srinivasan declared on social platform X (formerly Twitter).
According to Srinivasan, the school is not just about training. It’s a living lab, a real-world prototype of what a sovereign Network State might feel like — what daily life might look like in a society designed from first principles, rather than inherited systems.
One participant, Instagram user Nick Peterson, offered a glimpse inside the experiment:
“I’ve been living in this real-life experiment called the Network School, run by Balaji Srinivasan, where we are kind of testing what creating a new nation would feel like… It’s an oasis for gym rats and startup founders.”
The curriculum is deeply interdisciplinary. Topics range from digital currency economics to AI ethics, political philosophy, and even anti-aging science. Meals are designed by biohacking enthusiast Bryan Johnson. Daily schedules are structured yet adaptable — mornings may begin with gym workouts and end with crypto policy debates or AI coding challenges.
Srinivasan is explicit about the type of person he’s looking to attract:
“We’re seeking dark talent — people who want to create win-and-help-win societies, focused on both individual and collective self-improvement… remote workers, digital nomads, online creators, event planners, and technologists of all stripes.”
THE NETWORK SCHOOL
We got an island.
That’s right. Through the power of Bitcoin, we now have a beautiful island near Singapore where we’re building the Network School. We’re starting with a 90-day popup that runs from Sep 23 to Dec 23, right after the Network State Conference.… pic.twitter.com/3EJHC2drkq— Balaji (@balajis) August 16, 2024
Who is Balaji Srinivasan?
Born in 1980 in Plainview, New York, Balaji S. Srinivasan is the son of Tamil Nadu-born physicians. A lifelong technologist, he holds four degrees from Stanford University, including a PhD in Electrical Engineering and an MS in Chemical Engineering. His professional pedigree includes co-founding Counsyl, a genetic testing firm later acquired for $375 million, and 21.co, a Bitcoin venture that evolved into Earn.com, acquired by Coinbase.
During his tenure at Andreessen Horowitz as a General Partner, Mr Srinivasan became one of the most influential early investors in cryptocurrency and biotech, backing projects like Ethereum, OpenSea, and Alchemy. His 2022 book, The Network State: How to Start a New Country, outlines his belief that future societies will be founded by online communities that first form digitally and later acquire physical territory.
“Why wait for existing governments to change,” he asks in the book, “when you can build your own?”
This philosophy has led to comparisons with past seasteading movements and even modern libertarian utopias. Critics warn of potential techno-elitism or digital feudalism. Yet Srinivasan insists that the experiment is inclusive, meritocratic, and purpose-driven — designed not to escape society, but to reboot it.
The Network School is just the beginning. He has signalled future expansion, with plans for similar programmes in Dubai, Tokyo, Miami, and potentially India. The next phase includes a one-year fellowship programme with $100,000 in seed funding per participant to launch new ventures aligned with the Network State vision.
Srinivasan has also drawn parallels to historical nation-building, noting that the United States itself began as a radical idea of self-governance. He believes that today’s internet-native generations deserve similar opportunity — the ability to prototype society in real time, with digital tools and decentralised governance.
Notably, Srinivasan has said the school is built “for the young version of myself — the aspiring engineer.” For him, it is both a personal mission and a philosophical rebellion against inertia.
“This is the community I want to live in: a technocapitalist college town. A Stanford 2.0 that’s globally affordable and genuinely meritocratic,” he wrote.
As the programme continues to attract global attention — and applications — observers are watching closely. Is this the start of a new kind of digital-era nation-building? Or an ambitious tech utopia destined to remain experimental?
Whatever the answer, Balaji Srinivasan has undoubtedly done something rare: turned a provocative idea into a living, breathing community — one island, one school, one experiment at a time.
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