Intro
Last week, I had the privilege of spending several days in Singapore during Token2049 and the Network States Conference.
While most people in town were chasing token launches, panels, and afterparties, my mission was different.
I went there to dive deep into the Network States movement: to learn, to connect, and to understand what this emerging ecosystem really means for the future of societies.
This is my recap of that inspiring week.
Day 1: Tuesday, September 30th
After a long 16-hour flight(s), I finally landed in Singapore.
Still jet-lagged but excited, I decided to skip the Grab and take a bike ride through the city, which turned into a mini-adventure (and made me 40 minutes late) to the first Network States gathering.
There, I met Eric B, writer, event organizer, co-founder of Ipê City, and one of the original creators of the Network States Dashboard, alongside with Oskar and a handful of other pioneers.
I also had the chance to meet some fellow Network State writers like Parallel Citizen and Isabelle Castro, whose passion further inspired me to keep writing about this space.
Among the crowd were people from Network School, and my friend Carvas from DeltaY, the creator of the incredible xyz.city dashboard.
The evening ended with a massive burger, an ice-cold beer, and great conversations. Then I headed to the hotel to rest, or at least tried to.
Day 2: Wednesday, October 1st
After barely two and a half hours of sleep, I gave up trying and picked up The Anthology of Balaji by Eric Jorgenson.
It felt like the perfect moment to dive deeper into Balaji’s vision.
By the time I had read half the book, I hit the gym, followed by a quick swim, and was ready to head to Draper House, where Infinita City organized two full days of Network State-focused events.
It was an honor to be there representing LayerX as one of the event sponsors. (Thanks, Niklas Anzinger!)
I arrived first at 8am and spent the morning coworking, meeting fascinating people, and reconnecting with Niklas and Kara from the Infinita team, both of whom I collaborate with as an Infinita ambassador.
The event seemed like a satellite of Infinita City, as you could use $LIVES, Infinita’s currency to buy food, drinks and merch during the whole day.
If you want to know more about $LIVES please check out their page here on why it is much better than using fiat currency on the island.
Later in the day, I attended incredible talks:
Lonis and Niklas on Prospera and Infinita City
Florian Fournier on OurWorld and Zanzibar SEZ
Liam Bates (and his father) on Sealand, the OG Network State
Every minute was worth it. I asked the same question to each speaker:
“These experiments are amazing, but how can someone like me, from Portugal or elsewhere, truly contribute to this movement?”
And to wrap up that day?
The announcement of Infinite Games by Niklas, 2 full months from February to March 2026, divided by categories: frontier, mind, body and social games.
Think of Hunger Games but without people dying (hopefully). 😂
If you want to know more about Infinite Games, please check out the website here and apply to be an Infinite Games Medallist! 🥇
After the event, I went out for Thai food with Carvas and Tiago, the CEO of DeHouse, a coworking collective I also helped to co-found.
We talked late into the night about how we could bring the Network State movement to Portugal and drive real change.
Day 3: Thursday, October 2nd
I overslept (no gym this time 😅) but was eager to keep learning.
I joined a few side events before heading to the Open Startup City Lunch, hosted by none other than Patri Friedman.
For context, Patri is the founder of The Seasteading Institute, GP at Pronomos Capital, and grandson of Milton Friedman, the Nobel-winning economist.
During lunch, I met bradford cross, Managing Partner at Pronomos and CEO of Alpha City, a federation of frontier cities across Africa.
Bradford’s enthusiasm for Portuguese-speaking Africa and his love for Porto instantly created common ground.
It gave me hope that Portugal could soon become part of the global Network States map.
Later, I headed back to Draper House for more inspiring talks:
Peter Fedichev (Gero AI) on how to stop aging and live forever
Ken Kruger (Network Bank), Ariel Amar (Westy), and Joseph McKinney (Startup Societies Foundation) on crypto and legal engineering
Dinner that evening was again with Tiago and Carvas, at a local food court eating spicy noodles, followed by a hotel rooftop under the Singapore skyline, having a deep conversation about life, ventures, kids, and purpose.
I went to bed late but incredibly inspired by the ambition and brilliance of young people like Carvas.
Day 4: Friday, October 3rd
The big one: Network States Conference.
I started my morning at the gym, then followed the first talks via livestream before heading in person.
From the moment I arrived, I could feel it. This was different.
The talks and speakers were world-class, and the atmosphere was pure signal:
No booths. No scammers. No noise.
Just ideas, innovation, and meaningful conversations.
Balaji’s energy was incredible, still buzzing despite pulling off an event for 2,000 people.
This was easily the best conference I’ve attended in years, maybe ever.
I met the incredible team behind Tools for the Commons, Kim from Onchain City, James of Ârc and reconnected with familiar faces from Porto: Pamir, Hugo Volz, and the DeltaY team, and realized how many people I already knew were part of this movement.
It made me even more bullish on Portugal’s role in the Network State space.
Also, the food was great (a rare thing at conferences).
Afterwards, Tiago and I wrapped up the trip with some incredible sushi before heading to the airport for the flight home.
Bonus Day (That Didn’t Exist): Saturday, October 4th
Unfortunately, I misbooked my flight and ended up leaving a day early, which meant missing two great events:
A visit to Network School
There’s always next time.
Going Back Home
While waiting at the airport and later back home, I caught up on the talks I missed via the livestream.
This week left me energized and inspired.
I returned with a stronger sense of purpose and two clear next steps:
Positioning LayerX as a web3 development studio focused on Network State tooling to help advance this frontier.
Kicking off Network States Portugal, a community for builders, dreamers, and thinkers shaping the next generation of societies.
(Our first event happens this month in Braga, Portugal: Meetup link)
The Eternal Optimist Reflection
If there is one thing this trip reminded me of, it’s that human progress always starts with small gatherings of people who care deeply about the future.
In Singapore, surrounded by dreamers, thinkers, and builders, I saw a glimpse of what that future might look like.
Network States are not just about governance or technology. They are about agency, community, and the belief that we can design better societies.
One experiment at a time.
As I flew back home, I realized that optimism is not naive. It’s an act of rebellion against cynicism.
And if there is one thing I’ll keep doing, it’s staying optimistic about the future we’re building together.
Great to meet you there Mario!
It was wonderful meeting you Mario! Hope to catch you at future events. Onwards 🚀