By Futurist Thomas Frey
Back in 2009, I wrote about the coming era of virtual countries—nations that would exist entirely online, offering citizenship, governance, and services without any physical territory. At the time, it seemed wildly speculative. The technology barely existed. The legal frameworks were nonexistent. The idea that traditional nations would recognize digital sovereignty seemed impossible.
Sixteen years later, we’re watching it happen in real-time. And by 2040, the first fully functional Digital Nation will exist—complete with millions of citizens, recognition from major physical governments, and comprehensive infrastructure operating entirely online. This $500 billion megaproject will redefine sovereignty for the AI era and create the first post-territorial nation in human history.
But we don’t get there in one leap. We get there through a series of escalating events, each building on the last, each making the previously impossible seem inevitable.
Continue reading… “The Digital Nation: How We Get to the First Post-Territorial Country by 2040”
