Network State Conference

Frequently asked questions

What is the Network State Conference?

It's Balaji Srinivasan's annual one-day conference on network states, startup societies, and parallel institutions (per the organizer at ns.com/conference). Expect dense, ideas-driven talks rather than a trade-show floor, drawing roughly a thousand founders and investors. It's niche by design... so if you want practical onboarding or beginner tracks, this isn't that. It convenes the people building these projects, not a mass-market crowd.

Where was the most recent Network State Conference held?

The most recent edition was a one-day event in Singapore on October 3, 2025, held alongside Balaji's Network School (organizer details at ns.com/conference). Earlier editions ran in Amsterdam. The location moves, so the city for any future edition isn't fixed — don't book travel off a past venue.

Is there a Network State Conference in 2026?

As of mid-2026, no 2026 edition had been announced (checked against the organizer at ns.com/conference). The conference has run annually, usually around October, so another edition is plausible — but treat that as a pattern, not a promise. Check the official site for a confirmed date rather than assuming one. We'll update this listing when an edition is announced.

Who attends the Network State Conference?

Roughly a thousand founders, investors, and builders interested in startup societies and parallel institutions (attendance per the organizer at ns.com/conference). It's an ideas-driven, fairly insider crowd — useful for meeting people already deep in this space, less so if you're just curious and want an intro. Tickets and attendance skew toward people with projects or capital, not the general public.

What is a network state, and why is there a conference about it?

A network state is a voluntary community bound by shared values rather than territory, that aims toward eventual recognition — Balaji's own one-sentence definition lives at thenetworkstate.com/the-network-state-in-one-sentence. The conference convenes the founders and investors actually building these startup societies and parallel institutions. Worth knowing the honest catch: none of these projects is a recognized sovereign state, so the conference is about a thesis in progress, not finished countries.