Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently revealed that despite his groundbreaking ideas, he still faces many obstacles when developing the concept of "popup cities" and the broader "network states". major challenges.
In his speech at the 2024 Network Nations Conference in Singapore on September 22, Buterin singled out governance and membership as two key issues that have yet to be resolved.
What is cyberstate?
The concept of the cyberstate was first proposed by entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan and further expanded upon by Vitlaik. This idea points a new direction for decentralized communities, combining personal freedom with collective values. Some see the cyberstate as the successor to libertarianism, providing a new framework for balancing individualism with the needs of community.
Vitlaik's presentation at the Networked Nations conference highlighted the potential and complexity of the concept. While the vision of pop-up cities and network states is exciting, turning them into sustainable realities is still an ongoing process. Governance models, membership criteria and collaboration strategies will be key areas to watch as the concept develops.
The Network State: A Society Unfettered by Traditional Government
Central to Vitalik's vision is the concept of the cyberstate, a process that transforms online communities into physical communities and ultimately seeks political autonomy. This idea highlights the importance of decentralized communities and how they can form societies that are not bound by traditional government systems.
Vitalik explained that online states may set their own rules, rejecting the kind of over-regulation that often hinders progress in the West. However, he acknowledged that the actual implementation of these rules remains uncertain.
Zuzalu: An Experiment in the Network State
In his speech, Vitalik reviewed an experimental project called “Zuzalu” that was conducted between March and May 2023. The project brought together 200 people from different fields: Ethereum enthusiasts, cryptocurrency executives, biotech entrepreneurs and scientific researchers, who came together in Montenegro to work on collective problems such as extending human lifespan.
The idea is simple: "Gather these people together for 60 days, try to become a city, and see what happens." Vitalik uses this project as an example.
Issues at Zuzalu: Humanity and Governance
Participants at Zuzalu engage in activities such as healthy eating, cold baths and yoga, which, according to Vitlaik, help create a positive environment. This experiment highlights the importance of building such communities with a human element in mind.
However, despite the success of creating a temporary city, Vitlaik admits that Zuzalu's next steps remain unclear. How to establish effective governance for these communities remains one of the major unanswered questions.
Vitlaik noted that while people are enjoying the experience, governance issues remain, making it difficult to determine the future direction of this type of cyberstate. He noted that the current tribalism on social media could hinder the constructive relationships these communities need.
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Pop-up city: a new dream of science fiction
Vitlaik describes pop-up cities as a "new medium" where innovative and futuristic ideas can be explored, and as a place where one can "realize science fiction" and think about the future. He believes these cities could become hubs of innovation, where people can test new social models, experiment with different governance structures, and push the boundaries of human collaboration.
However, the road ahead remains challenging. Vitlaik believes that tribalism is often "zero-sum and unhelpful" and is a major obstacle to the successful development of cyber states. He emphasized that the sustainability of these countries depends on being able to transcend a narrow competitive mentality and promote cooperative relationships.
Vitalik calls for cooperation
Vitlaik acknowledges that while pop-up cities may have found “product market fit” (PMF), there are still many hurdles to overcome, particularly in terms of governance and membership. Both issues, he said, are critical to the long-term viability of a networked nation.
"To go further depends on our goals," Vitlaik said. He ended his speech by calling on people to cooperate more, even if their goals may be different: "We should cooperate more, and even if our goals are not consistent, we should think carefully about how to do it."
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