Inside the libertarian city on a Caribbean island backed by Silicon Valley

Alice Chen is cultivating a live algae drink in Próspera, a libertarian enclave on Honduras' Roatán island, a project she believes could add two decades to human life. She describes the environment as a "Maker Space," blending a science lab with a communal kitchen, where sunlight streams in from outside, contrasting with the windowless tent housing her experiment.

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You can't find this anywhere else in the world.

Chen asserts that developing this drink is only possible in Próspera due to its unique "meta-regulatory framework." In her native Canada, obtaining approval to test such a product would have taken months, if not years. She even suggests that pursuing such research would have led to her expulsion from any university. Drawn by the promise of a place free from regulatory constraints, Chen abandoned her PhD studies and relocated to Próspera.

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It's only possible here in Próspera because of their meta-regulatory framework.

In Próspera, businesses have the autonomy to choose their regulatory systems from a menu of options mirroring over 30 countries, or they can propose entirely new ones. Chen noted that when they couldn't find suitable existing regulations, they created their own. She has already gathered volunteers to test the algae drink, emphasizing that no other global jurisdiction would permit such human consumption safety experiments.

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In Canada, where Chen was studying for her PhD, it would have taken months, if not years, to get approval to test the product.

Chen's work is emblematic of the activities within Próspera, a private city managed by an American company and inhabited by biohackers, tech entrepreneurs, and cryptocurrency enthusiasts. Described as "the future of human governance, privately run and for profit," Próspera represents a significant test case for libertarian ideals, with proponents hoping to replicate the model globally. The project has garnered substantial backing from America's tech elite, with the managing company reporting nearly $200 million in investments from venture capital firms.

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I would have been kicked out of any university even for just consuming it myself.