Podcast · Tech & Science
by ns.com · English · Tech & Science
What comes after Google, Facebook, Bitcoin, and Ethereum? Perhaps it's the startup country — the network state. Balaji interviews tech founders and policymakers from around the world on managing billions of dollars and millions of people, as well as what it might take to start a new kind of state.
23 Apr 2026 · 54 min
Uma Roy is a cryptographer and cofounder of Succinct. We discuss how zero knowledge acts as a defense against AI, the challenges with AI detection tools, and how crypto makes digital media real again. If you are interested in the intersection of AI and cryptography, apply to Network School at https://ns.com .
18 Feb 2026 · 27 min
Arjun Khemani is an author, podcaster, and privacy evangelist. He previously worked at Naval Ravikant's Airchat. We discuss the moral imperative for Zcash to scale, the balance between transparency and privacy, and the potential for a Zcash Network State. If you are interested in the future of privacy, apply to Network School at https://ns.com/.
16 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 11 min
Noor Siddiqui is the founder of Orchid, which offers whole genome screening for over 1,000 genetic diseases. We cover the transition from biological chance to choice, American public support for embryo screening, the historical stigma against routine procedures like heart transplants, and the new political divide of Primitivism versus Futurism. If you're interested in these ideas, you might be interested in Network School. Apply online at https://ns.com .
16 Jan 2026 · 57 min
Sean Neville co-founded Circle, the issuer of USDC, and is now the founder of Catena Labs. We cover the Centre Consortium joint venture between Circle and Coinbase, the rise of machine-native money, identity systems for AI agents, and the fusion of probabilistic AI with deterministic crypto. If you're interested in these ideas, you'll like Network School. Apply online at https://ns.com .
16 Jan 2026 · 40 min
Ben Horowitz is co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and the author of The Hard Thing About Hard Things. We cover why a16z left Delaware, the creation of Special Founder Zones, the politicization of US courts, and the migration from rule of law to rule of code. If these ideas interest you, check out Network School. Apply online at https://ns.com .
15 Jan 2026 · 52 min
Alex Gladstein is the Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation and author of Check Your Financial Privilege. We cover fiat devaluation as global taxation, why the IMF and World Bank aren’t what you think they are, and the shift from the currency of the state to the currency of the network. If you're interested in these ideas, you'll like Network School. Apply online at https://ns.com .
15 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
Bryan Johnson is the most biologically characterized human in history. We cover the transition from the FDA era to large effect sizes, the potential of gene therapies, real-time brain measurement, and the roadmap for the Don't Die Network State. If you're interested in ideas like the Don't Die Network State, come to Network School. Apply online at https://ns.com .
15 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 27 min
Dan Wang is the author of Breakneck and a Research Fellow at the Hoover History Lab at Stanford. We analyze why China has become the Engineering State while America has become the Lawyerly State. We cover the discontinuity between Mao and Deng, the "fake economy," the self-sabotage of both superpowers, and the debate on whether Bitcoin is the true rival to the CCP. If you're interested in these topics, you'll like Network School. Apply online at https://ns.com .
14 Jan 2026 · 2 hr 14 min
Yat Siu is the co-founder and chairman of Animoca Brands, which has over 600 portfolio companies and billions in assets. We discuss why gaming is the first jurisdiction enforced by code, the geopolitical split between China and India, and the economic architecture of the Network State. If you're interested in digital property rights, come to Network School. Apply online at https://ns.com .
14 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 15 min
Timur Kuran is a professor at Duke University and the originator of the concept preference falsification. We cover the mechanics of public lies, the falsification of US economic statistics, why Islamic law rejected the corporation, and how cryptographic verification replaces centralized authority. If you're interested in these ideas, come to Network School. Apply online at https://ns.com .
14 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 15 min
Luke Gromen is the founder of Forest for the Trees (FFTT) and a macroeconomic analyst with three decades of experience identifying global economic bottlenecks. We cover the stock market as the US economy, the Chinese supply chain for American weapons, the Fed's video game versus the physical world, and BRICS exit from the dollar. If you're interested in these ideas, you'll enjoy Network School. Apply online at https://ns.com .
13 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 53 min
Andrew Huberman is a professor of neurobiology at Stanford and host of the Huberman Lab podcast. We explore the design of the Huberman Health Zone, focusing on cortisol regulation, force-sleep technology, and the necessity of offline deep work. If you're interested in decentralized health, come to Network School. Apply online at https://ns.com .
13 Jan 2026 · 46 min
Stacy Herbert is the Director of the National Bitcoin Office of El Salvador. We cover El Salvador's pivot from gang warfare to physical security, the new AI and robotics laws, President Bukele's tech founder mindset, and the logistics of building a startup country. If you're interested in startup societies, come to Network School. Apply online at https://ns.com .
13 Jan 2026 · 39 min
Cory Levy is the founder of Z Fellows and an investor in early-stage technical founders. We cover the decline of legacy institutions, where talent should go, and the shift from a rules-based to a code-based order. If you're interested in building parallel institutions, come to Network School. Apply online at https://ns.com .
12 Jan 2026 · 20 min
Ben Lang leads community at Cursor, where 1,000 users applied within days to host Cafe Cursor popups. We cover the logistics of cafe takeovers, printing the cloud to the land, Society-as-a-Service, and connecting the top 1% of power users. If you're interested in materializing digital communities on land, come to Network School. Apply online at https://ns.com .
11 Jan 2026 · 55 min
Kamil Galeev is a writer specializing in the mechanics of historical power. We discuss why revolutions often lead to extreme regimentation, the centralization of the French monarchy, building parallel institutions, Stalin's bureaucratic camouflage, and the divergence of Russian and Chinese privatization. If you're interested in learning about and discussing these ideas, check out Network School at https://ns.com .
E21 · 10 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 42 min
David Friedberg is co-host of the All-In podcast and CEO of Ohalo. We discuss the fractal frontier, why the network wins in the West while the state wins in the East, consequences of the New Deal, China's industrial dominance, and the case for American Freedom Cities. If you're interested in these ideas, you should come to Network School. Apply online at https://ns.com.
S1 · E21 · 16 Jul 2025 · 22 min
Solana has become by some measures the #1 new ecosystem for crypto devs. Why? We talk with Akshay and Lily on how Solana is creating Internet Capital Markets, enabling micropayments, and building Solana special economic zones like Forma. If you're building on Solana, you should come to Network School. Apply online at https://ns.com .
S1 · E20 · 16 Jul 2025 · 1 hr 56 min
India is now #3 in global unicorns, and was the #1 fastest growing economy in the world from 2015-2025. How did that come about? I'm joined by Hemant Mohapatra at Lightspeed India to give a quick survey of Indian tech for people who know nothing about India. We cover biotech, genomics, space, California vs India, and the game plan for the global technologist. If you're interested in global technology, you should come to Network School. Apply online at https://ns.com .
S1 · E19 · 16 Jul 2025 · 54 min
Jesse Pollak leads Coinbase Base, which enables 1 cent transactions on Ethereum. We discuss the motivation behind Base, monetization for creators & companies, local stablecoins, network states, and the Base Batches session at Network School. If you're building on Base, apply to Network School at https://ns.com .
S1 · E18 · 16 Jul 2025 · 1 hr 40 min
Claire is the founder of Quillette.com, a digital magazine covering tech, culture, and centrist politics. We cover the rise of China, why Australia may indeed be this century's lucky country, and the realist take on American Empire. If you're interested in these topics, you'll be interested in Network School. Apply online at https://ns.com .
S1 · E17 · 16 Jul 2025 · 2 hr 4 min
Benedict Evans is a former partner at Andreessen Horowitz and runs a newsletter with ~200k subscribers. We discuss smart glasses, amplified intelligence, robot dogs, the decentralization of media, and how AI is disrupting the very concept of user interfaces. If these ideas interest you, we're working on this kind of technology at Network School. You can apply online at https://ns.com .
S1 · E16 · 16 Jul 2025 · 1 hr 13 min
Jeremy Howard is the creator of fast.ai, perhaps the best way to get a running start in modern deep learning. We talk about AI research, decentralizing education, and funding the world's dark talent. If you're interested in these ideas, especially regarding AI-first education, come to Network School. You can apply online at https://ns.com.
S1 · E14 · 16 Jul 2025 · 1 hr 15 min
Vitalik Buterin is the co-founder of Ethereum and Zuzalu. We had a fireside chat on the state of Ethereum, defi, prediction markets, AI, biotech, stablecoins, the Abundance Agenda, San Francisco, Zuzalu, and startup societies. If these ideas interest you, this discussion was held live at Network School. You can apply online at ns.com .
S1 · E13 · 16 Jul 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
Jason Calacanis is the co-host of All-In and one of Silicon Valley's most successful angels. We discuss Network School, startup societies, voting with your feet, and strengthening democratic rights in a digital age. If these ideas interest you, we're building startup societies at Network School. You can apply online at https://ns.com .
S1 · E12 · 16 Jul 2025 · 1 hr 7 min
Michael Saylor is the creator of the first Bitcoin treasury company, Strategy. He joins Balaji to discuss his new Digital Assets Framework, where he unveils a plan for how the US becomes dominant in digital assets. If these ideas interest you, we're advancing digital assets at Network School. You can apply online at ns.com .
S1 · E11 · 19 Mar 2025 · 1 hr 37 min
Rudyard Lynch runs the popular YouTube channel WhatIfAltHist. We're both into applied history — namely, studying the past to forecast the future — and everything we spoke about fell under that rubric. We cover alchemy vs technology, left vs right, nature vs nurture, China vs America, communism vs wokeness, and (of course) networks vs states.Our overarching goal with the pod is to learn about the world to build new startup societies. If these ideas interest you, we're putting theory into practice at Network School, so do apply at https://ns.com. OUTLINE 00:00 - Intro to WhatifAltHist and…
S1 · E10 · 28 Jan 2024 · 41 min
Where do you legally set up your DAO or web3 organization? You might check out the Marshall Islands. They recently passed a new bill that's a model for global crypto regulation. The Decentralized Autonomous Organizations Act of 2023 has several major features: it allows DAOs to be set up in 30 days, limits DAO liability for open-source, and makes clear that governance tokens are not securities. Joining Balaji today are the architects of the DAO law as well as the founder of MIDAO (https://midao.org), an organization which allows anyone to set up a DAO in the Marshall Islands. OUTLINE 00:00 -…
S1 · E9 · 28 Jan 2024 · 1 hr
Joe Lonsdale is one of the most prominent investors in technology. He's the co-founder of Palantir, 8VC, Addepar, and the Cicero Institute — and one of Balaji's longtime friends. We have fun talking about education, longevity, space, and the little matter of completely reforming all governments with the internet. OUTLINE: 00:00 - How Silicon Valley got expensive 09:18 - Tech founders as philosophers 17:39 - 100% Democracy and .01% Democracy 28:51 - Internet Values vs Western Values 36:05 - How Academics Become Capitalists 46:40 - Red States, Purple States, Foreign States for AI 58:11 -…
S1 · E8 · 28 Jan 2024 · 1 hr 30 min
Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of Solana, joins Balaji to talk about the new Solana Phone (https://solanamobile.com). The idea of the crypto phone is one where balances, encryption, privacy, and property rights are built into the very fabric of the operating system. Anatoly talks about how they did it. OUTLINE 0:06 - The Solana Phone 2:08 - Anatoly's Origin Story 6:03 - Solana Proof-of-History Algorithm 12:10 - Hardware Scales Global Consensus 16:13 - Different Chains Do Different Things 19:55 - A Self-Custody Phone 30:38 - Instant Bank Accounts 38:20 - Any OEM Can Make a Solana Phone 43:26 -…
What comes after Google, Facebook, Bitcoin, and Ethereum? Perhaps it's the startup country — the network state. Balaji interviews tech founders and policymakers from around the world on managing billions of dollars and millions of people, as well as what it might take to start a new kind of state.
The Network State Podcast is a English tech & science podcast from ns.com. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.
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