Crypto billionaires build a world where money buys a vote: The Liberland experiment

Liberland, a self-proclaimed micronation between Serbia and Croatia, was founded as a libertarian digital state running on blockchain technology. Its president, Vít Jedlička, explains that the country has introduced purchasable crypto tokens called “Liberland Merits,” allowing wealthier residents to have more say in elections. Liberland is entirely tax-free, and its interior minister, Ivan Pernar, a controversial former Croatian MP, openly states that “some people have more liberty than others.”

The main backer is Chinese crypto billionaire Justin Sun, worth an estimated $8.5bn. His company, Tron, is a blockchain used to run Liberland’s governance. Sun has invested over $75m in the Trump family’s crypto business and supports the idea that nation-states are outdated and can be replaced by blockchain. He envisions a borderless planet.

Liberland is one of several similar projects, such as Prospera in Honduras and Peter Thiel’s Seasteading Institute. These ideas trace back to thinker Curtis Yarvin’s “Dark Enlightenment” philosophy, which criticizes democracy and proposes replacing it with “corporate monarchies” ruled by “CEO-kings.” Yarvin believes blockchain can help create a world where traditional states are replaced by private micro-sovereignties competing for citizens.

The crypto lobby in the US has surpassed the fossil fuel industry, contributing $238m in the recent election cycle. While Liberland’s backers claim technology can free people from government control, critics note that power ultimately flows to those who control the technology.