Zuzalu and Pop-Up Cities: How Temporary Gatherings Seed Permanent Digital Networks
In spring 2023, Vitalik Buterin convened ~200 residents in Montenegro for Zuzalu. Within 18 months, 20+ derivative pop-up villages launched worldwide. Edge City became a self-sustaining business. Zupass (ZK-proof identity) moved from prototype to production.
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Tech Elites Turn to Network States as New Frontier of Governance
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Caliber.az (citing FT) · Jan 6, 2026
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Próspera is suing Honduras for $10.7B under CAFTA after ZEDE revocation. Praxis has raised $525M and attracted 87,000+ digital citizens. Vitalia hosted a longevity popup in Roatán in 2024. Itana outside Lagos moves forward with Pronomos Capital backing. Pop-up cities like Edge City became cash-flow positive.
Resilience.org · Sep 11, 2025
Network StatesLessons from Network State Experiments 2023-2025: What Worked, What Failed
Pop-ups won the last cycle. Charter cities maturing but fragile. Culture beats capital every time — projects that thrived (Zuzalu, Cabin, Culdesac) focused on people first, tech second. Próspera has real buildings but legal challenges loom. Itana and Vitalia are next to watch.
Parallel Citizen · Jul 27, 2025
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