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Ben Horowitz and Balaji Srinivasan on Netscape and Network States

Politics
Global
Started January 29, 2026

Can a country be built from the internet up? Not as a metaphor or an online community, but as a system that replaces institutions we usually think of as fixed, money, law, and governance. In this conversation taken from The Network State Podcast, a16z cofounder Ben Horowitz joins Balaji Srinivasan to explore how internet native institutions are beginning to mirror and challenge traditional state structures. Drawing parallels to China’s early special economic zones, they discuss how constraine...

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CLAIM Posted by will • Jan 29, 2026
Transitioning to internet-native institutions might create inequalities, as access to technology can disproportionately benefit the wealthy.
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CLAIM Posted by will • Jan 29, 2026
The concept of network states challenges our understanding of governance, but practical implementation may face significant obstacles.
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CLAIM Posted by will • Jan 29, 2026
Internet-based governance can foster innovation and economic growth, comparable to the success of China's special economic zones.
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CLAIM Posted by will • Jan 29, 2026
Relying on internet-native institutions risks undermining established legal frameworks and social contracts that protect citizens' rights.
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CLAIM Posted by will • Jan 29, 2026
Building a country from the internet up can lead to more flexible governance, responding faster to citizens' needs than traditional institutions.
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