This edition covers the countdown to our conference in Próspera, a new appointment to our team, why Draper Nation think you shouldn't try to build a Free City "on the blockchain," and why AI is collapsing the distinction between employees and contractors.
96 days to the Free Cities Conference
The Free Cities Conference 2026: Próspera—Step Inside is now 96 days away, with hundreds of attendees expected from across the world, making it the largest event ever hosted in Próspera. This year's conference is unlike anything the Foundation has hosted before: rather than hearing about alternative governance in a conventional venue, attendees will walk the streets of a real Free City, meet the entrepreneurs and residents building it, and experience firsthand what life inside one of the world's most ambitious governance projects actually feels like.
Accommodation is available at either the new Duna Tower or the beachfront Las Verandas resort, both on-site at St John's Bay. To secure your room, use the contact form at freecitiesconference.com/accommodation.
Birdseye view of Duna Tower and Próspera's Beta District
Luxury accommodation in Las Verandas
Tickets are available at freecitiesconference.com.
Welcome to Mailyn Salabarria
Mailyn Salabarria pictured third from left along with the Free Cities Foundation team and Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray
Mailyn Salabarria has joined the Free Cities Foundation as Senior Advisor for U.S. Strategic Development & Partnerships, where she will focus on building the Foundation's presence across the United States. Born in Cuba, she migrated to the United States in search of freedom and has devoted her career to liberty causes ever since. Her work will center on organizing events and meetups for the U.S. Free Cities community, developing networks across business, policy, and civil society, and forging the institutional partnerships that can accelerate the growth of Free Cities. She will also be working to cultivate relationships with individuals and organizations who want to support the Foundation's mission. If you are based in the United States and would like to connect with Mailyn or attend one of our upcoming meetups, register your interest by responding to this email.
You can't build a Free City on the blockchain
Vikram Bharati—cofounder of Draper Nation and a speaker at the 2025 Free Cities Conference—has written a new article for the Free Cities Foundation Substack addressing a persistent misconception in discussions about new city projects. Blockchain can do remarkable things, Vikram argues, but turning a programmable database into a city is not one of them: great cities are built on legibility and trust, not incentive design. Read the full piece on our Substack.
Free Cities Podcast—he swapped his production team for Claude
This week Timothy Allen sits down with Matthew Mottola, the man who has spent a decade arguing that corporate America is quietly run by freelancers already—and who now runs Human Cloud, the platform that matches serious enterprises with the specialists to prove it. The conversation is a wide-ranging look at where the freelance economy is heading, why AI is collapsing the distinction between employees and contractors, and what Mottola thinks the future of work actually looks like in three words: agentic, specialized, outcome-driven. Watch on YouTube, and follow the Free Cities Podcast on Fountain.
Final thoughts
Ninety-six days goes faster than it sounds. If you have been meaning to secure your place in Próspera for September, the time to do it is now—tickets at freecitiesconference.com. Our Substack is also growing as a home for expert opinion on developments across the Free Cities industry. If you have a unique insight to share and want to write for us as a guest author, register your interest by responding to this email.
Your Free Cities Foundation Team