As nations across the Western world struggle with rising internal strife and economic instability, explorers and social innovators (as they have throughout history) are seeking new ways to build better societies.
But with land on Earth all pretty much settled, founders can’t just start a new country. So how about something like an independent community? And how about building it in a country wishing for some investment and economic uplift?
Over the past several decades, more of these innovators have spoken of “Autonomous Zones" or “Special Economic Zones”—sections within a country with more relaxed, flexible rules to enable economic development. Such zones have been successful, particularly in Asia, with Shenzhen (part of China) and Hong Kong (part of Britain until 1997) seeing rapid prosperity with foreign investment pouring in. Today, Shenzhen is a global manufacturing center, and Hong Kong is a global finance hub.
Hong Kong
So why not build a "Hong Kong" elsewhere?
Within the last few years, organizers with the corporation Próspera have struck a deal with the Honduran government, who granted Próspera a piece of land on Roatan Island.
They’ve since established a groundbreaking regulatory framework, broke actual ground to start building, and have attracted other companies to come incorporate and build there themselves.
Today, Próspera has 130 entities incorporated within, has seen over 900 residents sign on, and construction on the ground is taking place on several structures.
As one of the eResidents myself, I visited the zone for the second time in two winters—working in their open-air office, speaking to staff, walking their grounds, and then touring the construction of a building that hadn’t yet begun last time I was here but what is now the tallest structure on Roatan Island: a 14-story commercial/condo tower called Duna.
looking north out into the Caribbean from atop Duna
view from parking lot, with Duna to the left and a factory under construction to the right
One more big change since last year has been the addition of a nearby golf resort, expanding Prospera’s footprint and providing infrastructure for several other entities—including one that represents arguably an even greater social experiment…
Atop the highest peak of the Pristine Bay gated community and golf resort sits a former restaurant now home to Roatan Island’s own Bitcoin center.
Started by a young couple from Slovakia, “Amity Age Academy” hosts seminars, sells bitcoin-related literature and hardware, and does outreach across the island (and the mainland).
They are also integrating a growing number of businesses onto the Bitcoin network.
I got in on this game when speaking to the owner of the gym I had used. Soon after passing his contact info on to Amity Age, they shared the announcement: His was business #41 on the island to accept bitcoin:
https://twitter.com/iDidntTellYa/status/1635337077964550144
- iDidntTellYa
In such countries with weaker economies and currencies, people are looking for more ways to transact and connect to the rest of the world as well as more opportunities to save and invest. But even in countries with dominant economies, bitcoin also offers financial self-sovereignty and stability—all while challenging the country’s own stability by challenging perhaps its most prized monopoly: the money.
I think the source of most nations’ troubles today boil down to such technologies. The ease to venture “outside the system”—whether accessing places online or just making purchases outside the scope of the IRS; the pace and flow that residents now live their lives while the existing, slow-moving systems are unable to adapt—whether with appropriate legislation or even crowd control following an online-organized protest; meanwhile, better alternatives to these systems are arising.
Cryptocurrency provides a potential economic alternative.
Próspera offers a legal and geographic one.
Whether you believe in the merit or viability of such societal experiments, there’s no arguing they represent a move toward more efficiency and flexibility in how we organize and exist within societies.