What’s Trending in The Network State

This article forms the second part of the insightful conversation between Stuart (AKA the Wordsmith) and Alessio Treglia, the new Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Jur. In this second half of the interview, the pair go into detail about the world of governance applications and Alessio’s vision for how he can help lead the company into its new bold era to create the building blocks for decentralised governance. If you missed the first exciting part, we encourage you to read it here. As the conversation continued Alessio began to dig into how decentralised start-up societies and network states could evolve to help improve our current societal systems. He highlighted the fact that everything, including the Web3 world, is embedded in governance - even if many don’t realise it, stating how, “Web3 promises to revolutionise the financial system. However, even the systems of Web3 are governed through regulation. Governance is everywhere.”  Alessio continued to elaborate that the fundamental structure of our financial system and economy form the base of our society. Therefore, the way we want to trade with each other is based on rules, and as such governance helps us trade fairly. The CTO then explained how he believes governance lies at the heart of every organisation – it allows individuals, organisations and countries alike to come together and write the rules when a common interest is at stake. The conversation continued to highlight the importance and virtue behind governance, often helping rivals to reach common ground. “We want to write the rules so even rivals can sit down and agree on a basis for fair trade,” he said. “At the heart of governance lies a solid foundation for transparency and shared values.” Alessio’s wise words highlighted the widespread positive application that systems such as Network States can provide if implemented well - ensuring fair arbitration for almost any dispute or issue, as well as the discovery of common ground.  The pair continued on to discuss how there are many areas where one could focus and solve a particular problem in the public expenditure scenario using effective governance, given the fact that – as Alessio explained – across the world, 40% of the GDP is usually managed by a centralised government for public expenditure.  Governance in that sense gives the public certain guarantees they need, and encourages them to take part in the democratic process perpetually. The conversation then expanded on this detail further through the example of Public Goods. Alessio explained how, “making money as a public good is not easy. They are deemed to be used as a right [by citizens]. They feel entitled to use it as a right. For example, public infrastructure, such as roads and highways, are used by everybody. However, there is always a business behind that.” As such governance of these public goods is crucial to maintain a cohesive and supportive society and can help circumvent issues by providing effective compromise solutions in a way that is agreed upon by all –such as paying highway tolls. Stuart then started to dig deeper into Jur’s mission to build the infrastructure for Network States, starting by helping viewers understand what one is in its simplest form. Although the fundamental concept is not often easily understood at this stage of its infancy, Alessio had the perfect explanation. He began by drawing similarities between a Decentralised Autonomous Organisation (DAO) - which is a largely understood system in the Web3 space, explaining how, “the answer is very simple. A DAO is a subset of a Network State. [It is] an organisation of individuals and entities, all with some common interest - usually financial - who congregate…to pool resources together.” A DAO effectively helps a group of individuals to make decisions together through a decentralised democratic process on the blockchain. Alessio further expanded on this by stating, “[In a DAO] you bring capital to the party. You put capital at risk and then become a member of that DAO.” A Network State therefore is a superset of this use case that doesn’t rely solely on capital risk. The CTO concluded the explanation brilliantly by drawing parallels to members of a country. “[You are] a citizen…not because of the capital you possess, but for other reasons. You can be poor, but you would still be considered a citizen, and a potentially valuable one. The concept of a state is not a membership and is not dependent on capital,” which is exactly what a Network State is - a social community with an aligned mission for collective actions that operate through an on-chain social contract without requiring a physical territory.  With the definition of a Network State solidified, the conversation then shifted to the aspirations for Web3 ecosystems and how Jur will make a significant contribution to its growth and development. Alessio explained how Jur has already been playing a crucial role in the ecosystem in terms of building the technology and infrastructure for Network States as they continue to gather more use cases on a daily basis. “We don’t contribute by lending our expertise or experience,” he said. “Instead, we create building blocks and then create use cases on top of those blocks.” Indeed Jur prides itself on creating connections and asking the exact question that Alessio outlined: “What is the big problem for organisations and corporations in terms of governance?” and then assisting those seeking the technology required to structure their organisation in an efficient manner.  Stuart then wrapped up the engaging conversation by posing the new CTO a key question: “With your experience in building tech infrastructure and governance, what are your plans for decentralised governance?” Alessio responded by stating, “We [Jur] have new use cases coming to us on a daily basis, and the more use cases we have - the better equipped we are.” Again the response showed how Alessio has his finger on the pulse of Jur’s ethos. Building a constant influx of new use cases is crucial in growing the project’s knowledge in the space in regards to what organisations need, allowing it to by extension grow its toolbox and scale faster. Overall, the fun and insightful conversation revealed a lot not only about the CTO’s past, but also its future vision – particularly as it continues to unveil the infrastructure for Network States and provide burgeoning organizations with better choices and support, using innovative blockchain technology.  Alessio concluded by stating, “Our vision is to empower people and societies to have a governance system come to [system-based] conclusions on-chain by leveraging our comprehensive tools. Although you can’t predict what democracy 2.0 or 3.0 will look like, you can start building the blocks to create it.”  And that is exactly what Jur intends to do as it gives power back to the people. 

In the realm of startup societies, culture serves as the glue that underpins and holds a community together, reflecting its various values, norms, traditions, and shared understanding. The introduction of Jur's dynamic Society dApp provides an interactive platform for shaping these very cultures, giving Founders the granular tools they need to grow a community that perfectly resonates with their specific vision. As such, first understanding and then establishing the culture within a Startup Society is critical to its longevity and success. Culture, at its core, is a shared set of values, beliefs, and customs that govern the intrinsic behaviors of a community. For startup societies, this is effectively the blueprint that shapes principles, enhances community well-being, and creates the accepted parameters (‘norms’) to be upheld and respected by its members. Of course it can be a daunting task for a Founder to try and ascertain what these various elements might be. So to make things easier, we've put together a comprehensive breakdown of the key cultural elements to consider when creating your Startup Society: Values Values are the moral principles or behavioral standards that underpin a community's identity. They are the ideological compass that guides the community's decisions and actions. Prospective members often consider these values to be paramount when choosing to join a specific community. As a Founder, establishing and promoting clear values will attract like-minded individuals, forming a cohesive society. Norms Norms are behavioural parameters encoded into rules, laws, or regulations. They set the boundaries for acceptable conduct within the society, reflecting its collective moral compass. As a member, participating in the process of establishing norms ensures that the society's values align with their own - and as such it is crucial that a Founder has made them clear and coherent when creating the society. Customs Customs reflect a community's shared beliefs about appropriate conduct, even in the absence of explicit rules or laws. Upholding customs that align with the society's values fosters an environment of integrity and support, drawing in members who share these convictions. Traditions Traditions represent behaviours or practices that have been upheld over time, usually without the support of written norms. These traditions can serve as a powerful draw for potential members who resonate with them or have an interest in participating in new traditions. As we see in our everyday lives, traditions are often extremely important to both individuals and collective groups, and online communities are no different. In essence a tradition does not need to be old to be valuable, just something that unites people through its practice. Religion The presence and influence of a belief system, or the lack thereof, play a significant role in a community's culture. Prospective members' devotion, acceptance, or opposition to a specific faith can greatly influence their decision to join an startup society. Founders should consider this strongly when defining the religious landscape of their society. Language Language forms the backbone of any community, serving as a primary mode of communication. It's a crucial aspect of a society's culture and can significantly influence its overall cohesion and identity. These elements come together to form a society's culture, shaping its overall identity and appeal to prospective members. The culture of an startup society, defined within Jur's Society dApp, ensures that your society's principles and behaviours align with your community's values. Jur's Society dApp provides Founders the infrastructure to create their unique societal cultures. Through its various features, Founders can accurately convey and define their community's myriad values (as outlined above) shaping an startup society that truly reflects their vision. When defining the culture of your startup society, it is important to remember that creating an inclusive, open, and vibrant space is critical. It will not only attract members who resonate with your core principles and values but also create a sense of belonging and community (in the truest sense of the word) that will help perpetuate longevity and success. In essence, building a startup society is not just about creating an innovative, on-chain community; it's about crafting a culture that truly reflects the core ideology of your society. Understanding the role of culture and harnessing Jur's Society dApp to shape it will help you create a startup society that is both dynamic, inclusive, and enduring. Now all that’s left is to get started today, Get early access to the Jur Society dApp, and let’s build the future of societies together!

Startup Societies - Faster Evolution Our current forms of social organisation and governance have evolved over centuries, along with mechanisms for agreeing on and implementing new ideas. But the pluralist societies we live in and the complex systems that govern them have become more resistant to change while at the same time, technological change has accelerated. Our current organisational paradigms can’t keep up. The Startup Society concept addresses this problem.  Startup Societies apply the lean development principle of the tech startup paradigm to creating new, closely aligned digital-first communities. In contrast to pluralist systems that have evolved over centuries through adversarial processes of compromise, closely aligned startup societies can adopt relatively simple, faster-moving models for agreeing on new policies and move swiftly to try new ideas. The Problem of Trust When someone is starting a society nothing, they don’t have anything to lose. People may be reluctant to join a group if they perceive there is not a strong incentive for the founder to behave in a trustworthy way. Almost everyone who follows Web3 has heard of “Rug Pulls” where someone raises money for a crypto project off-chain and absconds with the funds.  But when used carefully, a blockchain can create instant and inviolable trust. We can’t know the intentions of a Founder or the members of a society. The founder may not have a reputation we could use as a basis for some degree of trust. But if they use a blockchain to publish and store their initial set of rules and establish a blockchain process for making new rules and spending money, we can completely trust that “what we see is what we get”. A promise encoded as a smart contract on the blockchain is a promise that will not be broken.  Blockchains can provide transparent and incorruptible procedures and records for the governance of a society, creating instant trust at a level of confidence that non-blockchain institutions, even ones with centuries of reputation, cannot rival. Even A Simple Startup Society Benefits from Blockchain Startup Societies may be rather “low-stakes” propositions in their early phases. Still, people will have to decide if they want to sacrifice their time to participate in these experiments. Knowing the system is certain to be trustworthy can help inspire the confidence to participate. And while Startup  Societies may start out with small steps and relatively low-impact activities, eventually they can evolve into Network States that are peers to Nation States. Those that use blockchains can point to a knowable transparent history to justify and explain every aspect of their evolution in the future when the stakes are higher. Proving Impact to Gain Recognition Some Startup Societies may eventually want to crowd-fund territory and even seek special economic zone status and then, in the final step to becoming a true Network State, diplomatic recognition. In order to gain recognition and negotiate for some limited autonomy from Nation States, a Startup Society can demonstrate its significance by proving population growth and increasing economic impact with indisputable blockchain data. 

In April this year, Alessandro Palombo – the groundbreaking founder of Jur – spearheaded a panel discussion with an assembly of esteemed specialists. Their goal was to delve into the transformative potential of digital communities evolving into digital nations, and the profound societal impact this paradigm shift could precipitate. Among the participants were Sergio Mottola (founder, Public Pressure), Rolf Hoefer (founder, Cultur3 Capital), and Matthew Arrow (founder, Dark Forest). This article serves as a comprehensive exploration of the principal insights and key themes shared during the intellectually stimulating discourse. Watch the full video here. Throughout history, societies have witnessed perpetual transformation, with technological advancements often acting as catalysts for rapid change. The deeply ingrained human desire for collective strength and survival has driven the formation of groups, from the early hunter-gatherer tribes seeking mutual protection to the establishment of monarchies, empires, and democratic systems. Every significant technological leap has necessitated a restructuring of societal frameworks, with the advent of the printing press—and by extension, the capability to disseminate information on a mass scale—marking the rise of Nation States. These entities cemented collective identities tied to geographical borders, fostering a robust sense of national consciousness. The dawn of the internet, however, has ushered in a new epoch, giving rise to global digital communities that challenge and transcend traditional conceptions of nationhood. These online networks, frequently referred to as Network States, offer participants a shared culture and identity that surpass geographical limitations. As the panel collectively articulated, these Network States represent a significant milestone in societal evolution, laying the groundwork for the emergence of Digital Nations—a pioneering form of societal model that confronts the limitations of current token-based Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAO) For the unfamiliar a DAO is a blockchain-based system where rules and decisions are made by community consensus rather than a central authority. To fully comprehend the concept of Digital Nations, it's vital to grasp the existing landscape of DAOs. Born from the groundbreaking work of Satoshi Nakamoto, blockchain and smart contract technologies have facilitated their creation. This pivotal development has shifted power away from centralized authorities, delegating it instead to the collective wisdom of the community. However, existing DAOs are still in their embryonic stages, and possess an untapped potential beyond their prevailing focus on token-based governance. Rolf Hoefer astutely observed that "an organization is essentially the sum of its parts. In other words, a community does not necessarily translate to an organization." While DAOs primarily revolve around the management of collective assets and prioritise asset-oriented governance, Digital Nations place a greater emphasis on the governance mechanism itself, incorporating a broader range of functions. Governance within a Digital Nation serves as a robust supportive framework that facilitates the reliable expression of citizen voices and introduces the capacity to reverse decisions when deemed necessary.A historical parallel can be drawn between the establishment of the United States and the underlying principles of DAOs. The original thirteen American colonies united to challenge prevailing injustices and enacted change by forming an organization—a precursor to DAOs—motivated by a shared financial incentive. Over time, this collective effort blossomed into one of the world's most revered democracies, underscoring the transformative power of DAOs when guided by a shared mission and mutual purpose. However, as governance structures scale and expand, they often run the risk of becoming less effective. This is precisely where Digital Nations propose a promising alternative. Digital Nations redefine the concept of citizenship, introducing a more dynamic, responsive form of governance. Citizens are granted the ability to reclaim their agency and influence decision-making processes through mechanisms such as the delegation of voting power. This empowers individuals to adapt and modify their choices if they find themselves dissatisfied with the outcomes, fostering a more participatory and adaptable future.Alessandro Palombo emphasised the unique characteristic of Digital Nations, stating that "the key aspect is that a Digital Nation will create a different kind of citizenship or participation from the citizens." In its early stages, a DAO is akin to a foundational layer, but it has the potential to morph into a Digital Nation that encompasses more than just governance voting. Digital Nations expand the spectrum of choices available to individuals, empowering them to transcend traditional nation-state boundaries in pursuit of the options that resonate with their values and aspirations. The dawn of Digital Nations also ushers in the promise of cultivating trust within their ecosystems. Trust, a cornerstone of societies throughout history, takes center stage in the context of Digital Nations. By leveraging the cutting-edge technologies of blockchain and smart contracts, Digital Nations establish a trustless environment, where the integrity of the system is guaranteed by the immutable code of the smart contracts rather than relying on faith in centralised authorities. Sergio Mottola sagely pointed out that "the need is to create trust. The form of governance is the tool used, which changes over time. We have a technology that basically provides trust, and we need to use that technology to govern." Digital Nations harness the transformative power of technology to build trust and foster transparent, accountable governance structures, thereby empowering individuals and communities. Jur, under the visionary leadership of Alessandro Palombo, stands at the forefront of building the necessary infrastructure to actualize the vision of Digital Nations. The innovative platform developed by Jur facilitates the creation of censorship-resistant communities and offers a suite of features including treasury management, dispute resolution mechanisms, community engagement tools, and Oracle-based smart contracts. Through Jur's diligent efforts, the vision of Digital Nations transitions from a conceptual idea into a tangible reality—an ecosystem that empowers individuals with greater choices and a decentralised governance framework. In conclusion, the insightful panel discussion underscored the transformative potential of Digital Nations in redefining global communities. As societies continue their evolutionary journey, spurred by advancements in technology, the emergence of Network States and the prospect of Digital Nations represent a seismic shift in our understanding of governance, citizenship, and collective decision-making. With the foundation laid by DAOs and the innovative infrastructure being developed, the era of Digital Nations is on the horizon, promising a more participatory, adaptable, and trust-based future for individuals worldwide. Curious to dive deeper into the insightful panel discussion? Watch the engaging community call to gain a comprehensive understanding of the transformative potential of Digital Nations. https://youtu.be/7Q-P29ZmmxQ

What is a DAO? DAO is short for decentralised autonomous organization. A DAO has a community of members. Members are typically required to deposit cryptocurrency into a shared asset pool that they manage using governance tokens. A member’s voting power is usually proportional to the value of the assets they contribute to the pool. The organization is decentralised and autonomous in that there is no central or external authority controlling the DAO and its asset pool; all actions are determined by member proposals and votes. The processes of publishing proposals, voting, and transferring assets are all managed using smart contracts on the blockchain. DAOs are crypto-native communities focused on delivering economic benefits. Uniswap, the decentralised exchange, is managed by a very big DAO.  What is a Startup Society?  The phrase “Startup Society” describes a social model inspired by software startups. According to Balaji Srinivasan, “a startup society is a new community built internet-first, usually for the purpose of solving a specific social problem in an opt-in way.” Members of startup societies choose to join because they are united by shared values or a sense of moral purpose. Startup societies are likely to be founder-led initially, so they are not necessarily decentralised, but they may likely use blockchains. What is the difference between a DAO and a Startup Society? All DAOs are decentralised, but many Startup Societies may have some degree of centralised leadership. DAOs are typically narrowly focused on providing economic benefits for members. Startup Societies may be united by goals and values that transcend simple economic benefit.  DAOs are about blockchains and economic benefits, while Startup Societies use blockchains and may offer economic benefits, but are about a shared value in the sense that members are motivated by what Balaji proposes to call “One Commandment” - a clear value.  An Edge Case Example - Startup Society or DAO? Let’s consider a group of “sneakerheads” - people obsessed with shoe fashion - that has no centralised leader and is based on a blockchain. The group initially provides economic benefits to members by having the group allocate its shared asset pool to stock in sneaker companies. They have more social cohesion than your typical DAO because they all enjoy talking about shoes and have what you might call a subculture.  Then, horrified by working conditions at big brand shoe factories, they decide as a group to adopt a new model of providing economic benefits. They will create socially responsible profit by funding fair trade with artisan cobblers that generates a modest profit for members who stake to support the platform operation and growth. Members get shoes and/or money, cobblers get membership in the group and a voting token, a new market and buyers willing to pay a fair price. Each member gets one “membership vote” and up to four extra votes depending on the size of their stake.  Is this group a DAO, or a Startup Society? The answer is…yes. You could call it either one or both. As you can see, the line can become blurry. But at Jur, we would definitely call it a DAO that has evolved into a Startup Society. Perhaps there is no need to get caught up on the label. But if a DAO wants to evolve in the direction of a Startup Society, it may be helpful to start using the term to evoke greater possibilities, open minds, and broaden horizons.  Learn more about Startup Societies, Network States, and DAOs in our Discord Community.

The Startup Society is a new concept that offers the potential for rapid social innovation. To fully grasp the significance of the Startup Society concept, it’s helpful to consider the context.  Technology and Social Change  Social change and technological change are intertwined. Tools and techniques for agriculture changed society. Social organization allowed specialization and new technology. The printing press made the mass spread of facts and ideas possible, allowing the creation of a new type of social organization, democratic nation-state republics, which replaced feudal monarchies. Today, distributed ledger technology is making new models of social organization possible.  The Nation State System Works…Slowly  Society and economic activity are currently organized under the nation-state system. Old European cities evolved gradually over time and today are a maze of curving streets, fascinating but not efficient. Analogously, nation-state governments have a complex legacy of existing rules. The processes for creating new rules necessarily balance the interests of divergent factions in the population. The result is often a pluralist deadlock. It can be difficult to test new ideas.  Software Startups - Designed For Rapid Evolution Software startups know they have to deliver fast; after all, runways don’t last forever. But you can’t just deliver fast. You have to deliver what is needed, and it has to work and please users. Many startups don’t get it right. Failure is common. But the software startup paradigm allows Founders who have a vision to test their idea, focusing on delivering a valuable service with a fast, lean approach in order to discover what works and what doesn’t as quickly as possible. Startup companies move faster than larger companies to test and prove the viability of new ideas, then scale. Extending the Startup Paradigm to Social Organization People who have great ideas about society can get frustrated working in the confines of the glacially slow system of existing institutions. The startup model offers an alternative. Founders can establish a set of values as a starting point to rally other people who are closely aligned. People who agree with the values can apply to become members of a Startup Society. Founders can establish criteria for admission to ensure members will find each other to be respectable and desirable colleagues. Founders may also choose to create social cohesion by proposing norms of communication and new traditions to encourage members to bond. The Startup Society can adopt mechanisms for proposing and voting on policies and actions.  What Is A Startup Society? A Startup Society is a social group that uses a model that is analogous to the lean software startup model to evolve rapidly. While Startup Societies could take many forms, Jur focuses on facilitating startup Societies with the following properties.  Led by a Founder Software startups are initially animated by the passion of a Founder. Jur believes the same will be true of most successful Startup Societies.  Online / Location Indepedent Some Startup Societies exist in a particular place in the physical world, but location-independent Startup Societies can offer membership to anyone in the world, offering the potential for more rapid growth.  Closely Aligned & Fast Moving  Startup Societies with clear and specific values are more likely to attract members and thrive. Societies unified by shared values can come to a consensus quickly, test new ideas, assess results, and implement policies that work in a rapid cycle of lean innovation.  Web3 - Trustless & Censorship Resistant Existing social institutions have established (albeit sometimes somewhat tarnished) long-standing and valuable reputations at stake, so people have expectations about how they can trust them. New societies that arise overnight can’t rely on reputation and history. But they can use Web3 to ensure transparency and reliability, providing inviolable trust with distributed ledger technology. Startup Societies can use simple sets of Web3 tools designed to propose, test, vote on, and adopt policies, values, norms, and traditions.  How To Build A Startup Society Broadly speaking, in order to succeed a Startup Society will need to have three properties. It must be desirable; there must be some group of people that wants want the Founder is planning to offer. It must be feasible; there must be some practical way to deliver what the Founder is planning to offer. And finally it must be viable; the benefits that the Society creates must be sufficiently significant to inspire continuing participation so that the society will endure.  So the first step in building a Startup Society is to think of why a group of people would want to join together and what they could create that would be meaningful for them. Once you come up with your concept, apply in under two minutes and your proposal will be added to the Society Lab in Jur’s Discord community. The community, including high-profile advisors like Zane Austen from TheNetworkState.com, will help you refine your idea. But hurry, proposals will be evaluated on March 31 so time is limited to participate.  Watch the below video to help you put together your proposal for the Startup Society Founders' Awards. https://youtu.be/uEiGF47tF_A