The Balaji Fund, backed by Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and other wealthy tech players, aims to fund “Network States” free of overbearing regulations.

More efforts from tech bros to build Rapture.

Interesting quotes:

it had backing from tech heavyweights such as billionaire Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, AngelList co-founder Naval Ravikant, and venture capitalist** Fred Wilson**, a Coinbase board member who sold his shares in the company for $1.8 billion after it went public in 2021.

“Bitcoin, if it wins, completely changes the world, because it changes the ability of centralized states to do what they’ve been doing,” Srinivisan said in a presentation delivered to a Bitcoin conference in Amsterdam in October.

The Bitcoin-based Network State will be based on “internet values” such as “open source” and “peer-to-peer,” Srinivasan has written.

An utopia run on Bitcoin? What could possibly go wrong?

  • AnneBonny@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    9·
    11 months ago

    Srinivasan has floated the car-free Culdesac private community in Tempe and the Peter Thiel-backed Próspera in Honduras as examples of currently-existing proto-Network States.

    “Suppose you found a new startup society like Culdesac on the basis of car-free living…which is an innovation in parallel transportation.

    Is “fuck cars” libertarian?

    • GregorGizeh
      6·
      11 months ago

      Maybe in a twisted thought process: privatized public transport for the masses, and because the rich have no actual restrictions in reality, I’m sure they can drive a car if they want to.

    • sculd@beehaw.orgOP
      5·
      11 months ago

      Good question. Since “libertarian” in practice always becomes some form of authoritarian state. They just jumped a few steps ahead.

      On the other hand though, car-free city sounds so nice.

      • AnneBonny@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        1·
        11 months ago

        “libertarian” in practice always becomes some form of authoritarian state.

        What has been libertarian in practice?

    • Banzai51@midwest.socialEnglish
      3·
      11 months ago

      Until a Libertarian decides he wants to drive a car. You can’t expect discipline from these assholes.