Network School

Network School sits in Forest City, a development on four man-made islands in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia — approximately 45 minutes from Singapore by car. Founded by Balaji Srinivasan and co-founder Donovan Sung, it operates as a paid, residential 'startup society' rather than a government visa or residency program. Members confirm their own Malaysian visa eligibility separately; Network School itself does not grant any legal status.

shared

$1,500/month (shared accommodation)

private

$3,000/month (private room)

Direct application at ns.com. No government fee, due diligence, or police clearance process is involved.

• v1: 90-day proof-of-concept, Sept 23 - Dec 23, 2024, 128 of 4,000+ applicants from 80+ countries
• v2: Year-long program launched March 1, 2025, 256 members
• By mid-2025: enrollment passed 400
• By 2026: 400-550+ in residence at any time, 70+ nationalities
• v3 (in progress): permanent campus under construction for 1,000+ technologists
• Planned satellite locations: Miami, Dubai, Tokyo

Forest City was designated a Special Financial Zone (SFZ) within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, formally established January 7, 2025. Incentives: 5% corporate tax rate (10-15 years) for qualifying companies, flat 15% personal income tax for knowledge workers, 0% tax on qualifying family office income (first 10 years).

• Ethereum, Solana, Coinbase, and Anthropic's Claude have held events on campus
• v1 guest speakers included Vitalik Buterin, Bryan Johnson, Ryan Petersen (Flexport)
• Network State Conference 2025 (Singapore) drew 8,000+ registrations with government representatives from Singapore, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and El Salvador

By April 2026, Forest City reported ~20,000 residents from 20+ nationalities, 26,000 completed units (~80% sold), and RM790M+ in cumulative tax contributions to Malaysia — though the development's earlier 'ghost city' reputation persists in public perception alongside these figures.

Crypto-only, prepaid membership fees have drawn scrutiny from some critics as a structure requiring due diligence before sending funds. No formal residency or visa status is conferred by membership.