As Frontier Tower grows, Network States take root in San Francisco

Announcement: I turned on monetization today. It would still be great if readers wanted to support the newsletter. For the first 44 days this is monetized, I’m offering a huge discount: 55% off, forever. Sign up now and it will be $2.25/month or $24.75/year for as long as you want to support this. 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. To subscribe to Diamond Rhino on mobile, click on any of these links:* Spotify* Apple Podcasts* Pocket Casts* OvercastShow notesSources:Ep 62.Dr. PeptidesNET societyJan 19, 2025Jakob Drzazga of Frontier Tower on Network & City StatesJames of ÂrcJan 9, 2026Lit 6 - Christian Nagel - Building the Future : The Frontier Tower Visionwith Christian NagelJan 7, 2026Talk: The Story of Frontier TowerKatia YakovlevaSafetyWingDec 19, 2025Laurence IonKGRAdbTranshumanist Enlightenment SalonDec 3, 2025Edge City — What is Frontier TowerKatia YakovlevaNov 13, 2025Inside Balaji’s Network State Vision | E2145This Week in StartupsJune 30, 2025Who kills subcultures?OK Banger, Christin Chong and Cameron Armstrong, hostsMay 27, 2025Silicon Valley’s Plan to Dismantle DemocracyTaylor LorenzMay 30, 2024Other references:Frontier Tower* On YouTube‘Market Street is coming back to life’: The tech utopia trying to revitalize Mid-MarketSF StandardMay 15, 2025Broken $100M dream city haven for utopiansBloombergSan Francisco ChronicleMay 18, 2025The Tech Baron Seeking to Purge San Francisco of “Blues”April 26, 2024I Can Tolerate Anything Except The OutgroupSept 30, 2014‘Peak SF’ on a Friday Night Is a Robot FightNew York Times2025Chinese peptides raveJan 3, 2026Chairman Birb.Geeks, mops and sociopaths.MeaningnessSarah Friend on utopiasOther useful material:The Tale of One Tower: SF-Based Vertical Longevity VillageLifespanJuly 29, 2025How Cities Build Vibrant Tech ScenesNextCitySept 10, 2014VitaDaoRumors in the towerYouTube This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.frontstageexit.com