Episode Description
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Today’s show is about a new outpost of crypto culture in San Francisco, where the idea of “Network States” has taken up permanent residence. Some entrepreneurs from Germany have purchased a 16-storey building and they are turning it into their first outpost of a nation of frontier nomads they hope to expand all over the world, ultimately enlisting 13 million citizens.
It’s called Frontier Tower. It’s not even a year old, but it’s going strong.
Have you heard about the robot fight clubs? Have you heard about Chinese peptide raves? Those were at Frontier Tower.
And this thing wants to go over all the world.
This is a story where crypto wealth meets urban downtowns in transition and the continued push and pull of visionary tech types and normie neighbors.
For me, this caught my attention because I started as a journalist covering innovation in cities. So obviously a startup experimenting in reviving the way urban areas work is going to grab me.
And the whole vibe is extremely crypto. So tune in for another exploration of crypto culture, and let me know what you think.
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Show notes
Sources:
Ep 62.Dr. PeptidesNET societyJan 19, 2025
Jakob Drzazga of Frontier Tower on Network & City StatesJames of ÂrcJan 9, 2026
Lit 6 - Christian Nagel - Building the Future : The Frontier Tower Visionwith Christian NagelJan 7, 2026
Talk: The Story of Frontier TowerKatia YakovlevaSafetyWingDec 19, 2025
Laurence IonKGRAdbTranshumanist Enlightenment SalonDec 3, 2025
Edge City — What is Frontier TowerKatia YakovlevaNov 13, 2025
Inside Balaji’s Network State Vision | E2145This Week in StartupsJune 30, 2025
Who kills subcultures?OK Banger, Christin Chong and Cameron Armstrong, hostsMay 27, 2025
Silicon Valley’s Plan to Dismantle DemocracyTaylor LorenzMay 30, 2024
Other references:
‘Market Street is coming back to life’: The tech utopia trying to revitalize Mid-MarketSF StandardMay 15, 2025
Broken $100M dream city haven for utopiansBloomberg
San Francisco ChronicleMay 18, 2025
The Tech Baron Seeking to Purge San Francisco of “Blues”April 26, 2024
I Can Tolerate Anything Except The OutgroupSept 30, 2014
‘Peak SF’ on a Friday Night Is a Robot FightNew York Times2025
Chinese peptides raveJan 3, 2026
Geeks, mops and sociopaths.Meaningness
Other useful material:
The Tale of One Tower: SF-Based Vertical Longevity VillageLifespanJuly 29, 2025
How Cities Build Vibrant Tech ScenesNextCitySept 10, 2014
Rumors in the towerYouTube
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