Balaji Srinivasan, serial tech investor and former Coinbase CTO, promoted his Network School startup project to Malaysian politicians in April 2026 [1, 2, 3].
He held closed-door meetings with Malaysia's Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo and other officials last month, presenting a redesigned visa application platform and proposing fast-track visas for Network School residents that allow longer stays than tourist visas [1, 2, 3].
The project aims to attract world-class tech talent and entrepreneurs to Forest City, Johor, a Malaysian real estate development near Singapore that had faced low occupancy and "ghost city" perceptions before [2, 3]. Srinivasan launched Network School in 2024, inspired by his 2022 book, The Network State: How To Start a New Country [2, 3].
The Network School has drawn prominent figures such as Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and longevity entrepreneur Bryan Johnson [3]. Minister Gobind visited the Forest City site on April 17, 2026, posing for photos with Srinivasan and a robot, initially posting social media support which was later removed [2, 3].
Malaysian investment advisor Puan Chan Cheong described the talks as "constructive and exploratory in nature," noting discussions broadly covered digital economy opportunities, AI, emerging technologies, digital finance, and cross-border ecosystem development [2, 3]. Some online critics questioned why a Malaysian minister appeared supportive of a project linked to decentralized digital communities and alternative governance models [3].
On May 13, Bloomberg and The Edge reported on Srinivasan’s efforts to pitch the Network School to Malaysian officials [1, 2]. Malay Mail followed with coverage on government interest and scrutiny on May 14 [3].
