Vitalik Buterin Reflects on Zuzalu: Two Major Challenges for Future Network States

Vitalik Buterin reveals two key issues—governance and membership—that must be solved to make the network state concept, like Zuzalu, sustainable in the future.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has revealed two major hurdles in his vision for "network states" after reflecting on the Zuzalu experiment. Speaking at the 2024 Network State Conference in Singapore, Buterin emphasized that governance and membership are crucial issues that need to be addressed to make the concept workable.

Zuzalu, a temporary city experiment in Montenegro, brought together 200 participants from diverse fields such as crypto, biotech, and research for 60 days. The goal was to foster collaboration on collective challenges, including human longevity, while exploring the concept of creating political autonomy for online communities.

Vitalik Buterin discusses the challenges and potential of network states following the Zuzalu experiment at the Network State Conference 2024.

Key Points:

• Zuzalu Experiment: Buterin’s “popup city” experiment hosted 200 people from the Ethereum community and other sectors in Montenegro to explore the viability of network states.

  
  

• Governance Challenges: While participants enjoyed the experience, Buterin noted that the governance structure for network states remains unclear and unsolved.

  
  

• Membership Issues: Defining and managing membership within these experimental communities is another unresolved challenge that needs attention.

  
  

• Future Path: Buterin stressed the importance of productive collaboration between network states to avoid tribalism, which can impede progress.

  
  

• Network States’ Potential: The experiment showed promise, but Buterin emphasized that solving governance and membership issues is essential for the concept to succeed.

Related: Germany Cracks Down on Crypto Crime: 47 Exchanges Shut Down

Vitalik Buterin’s Zuzalu experiment offered valuable insights into the feasibility of network states, but it also highlighted significant challenges. Governance and membership issues remain obstacles that need to be overcome for network states to thrive as viable alternative to traditional political structures. As Buterin continues to develop his vision, he calls for more collaboration across different communities to ensure that network states can meet their full potential.

Source: Cointelegraph