In Vegas last month, right after our Paradigm Shift Summit, we had a cocktail hour.

There, I had the honor of talking face-to-face with several of our most in-tune subscribers.

(Something I noticed last year, too: Paradigm is lucky to attract some of the smartest, savviest, most down-to-earth people on the planet as readers.)

Here’s where things got interesting.

I noticed a theme.

Most people I talked to… and I mean the vast majority… had either already bought a place outside of the US or were seriously considering it.

It was becoming so common that I started taking an informal poll, making sure to bring it up.

It was consistent.

Why? America’s future feels uncertain. For many who can afford it, a “Plan B” just makes sense. (Worst-case? They have a vacation spot.)

In fact, a couple of people I talked to fled to America from chaotic countries in the past. They’ve been through this before. And they don’t like where it’s headed.

I’d imagine this is pretty universal.

I don’t think there’s a single American in this country with a passport who hasn’t at least considered the possibility of planting flags elsewhere.

I’m going to be writing about this a lot more -- and exploring emerging options -- in 2024.

Here’s why…

Living in Honduras

Starting in January, I’ll be staying in a special economic zone in Roatan, Honduras called Prospera.

From January to March, 200 brainiacs (and then me) are gathering to talk about crypto, decentralized science (DeSci), biotech, longevity research, AI, and much more.

By way of analogy, Prospera wants to be something like the “Singapore of Central America”… except on a smaller, more decentralized scale.

To be exact, Prospera isn’t just one place. It’s a platform that funds and spearheads the development of special economic zones.

And these places are slowly popping up all over the world, offering opportunities for savvy individuals to go where their skills, brainpower, and money are treated best.

(Years ago, I had lunch with the president of Liberland, a micronation between Croatia and Serbia. It now has over 100 representatives in 80 countries as part of its effort to gain recognition as a state.)

You know what all of these special economic zones are embracing? Crypto.

No surprise.

Smaller, more agile experimental cities readily acknowledge the advantages of decentralization in eliminating counterparty risk, automating business operations, and streamlining auditing processes.

In fact, here’s a picture of the Bitcoin Center in Prospera.

And I just paid my deposit for my stay in Prospera with USDC on the Ethereum blockchain.

In all of the chaos and negativity in the mainstream media…

These special economic zones are one of the lesser-appreciated global trends that I believe could have a major impact on the future of governance, technology, and the global economy.

Most people, except clueless bureaucrats, agree:

The world doesn’t need more top-down mandates from clueless bureaucrats whose technical skills and business smarts barely surpass sending an email to a lobbyist.

It needs more innovation hubs where the cost of innovation (and failure) is low.

It needs more freedom.

That’s what I hope to find in Prospera.

More soon.