Trend Story 6: network states, digital nations and global citizenship contest statehood
Summary
The sixth story of change is that the categories of statehood and citizenship are loosening. Because technology lets people organize with others who share their values across borders, ideas such as network states, digital nations, digital nomads and global citizenship are taking shape, including online communities that pool money to buy territory and hope an existing state will recognize them.
Classification
Main topicDemocracy & Governance
Region menusGlobal
Impactscope:global
Time horizon4-10 years (2026-07-26)
Last updated2026-07-29 04:49:52
Evidence 3
- Exploring Change in Geotechnomics Policy Horizons Canada page=15;section=6 State and citizen 2025 accessed 2026-07-26
- Exploring Change in Geotechnomics Policy Horizons Canada page=14;section=6 State and citizen 2025 accessed 2026-07-26
- Exploring Change in Geotechnomics Policy Horizons Canada page=14;section=6 State and citizen 2025 accessed 2026-07-26
Observed signals 4
- SignalAn Anishinaabe led consortium in Canada has built an Indigenous metaverse
- SignalOver 50 countries now allow foreigners to live and work remotely for up to two years
- SignalPraxis members have invested toward a host country and Afropolitan aims at an African founded society
- SignalTuvalu has asked the United Nations to recognize it as a digital state
Part of issues 4
- IssuePolicy area 1: international relations must absorb new actors, new arenas and new entities4 trends · 2 signals
- IssuePolicy area 4: value laden governance and biased systems become sources of tension2 trends · 1 signals
- IssueWatch point: digital communities rewrite the social contract and civic attachment1 trends · 0 signals
- IssueWatch point: global governance must absorb networked states and states without territory1 trends · 0 signals
Relation types: constitutes · supports
Public id: fm-9f73ac301d7a