KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 — Silicon Valley crypto investor Balaji Srinivasan is seeking closer cooperation with Malaysian policymakers to expand his “Network School” project in Forest City, Johor, business news wire Bloomberg reported.
Citing people familiar with the discussions held last month, Bloomberg reported that the former Coinbase chief technology officer met officials, including Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo to discuss ways Malaysia could support the initiative, including proposals linked to visas and digital economy development.
“The discussions were broadly around digital economy opportunities, AI, emerging technologies, digital finance and cross-border ecosystem development,” Puan Chan Cheong, co-founder of investment advisory firm Aurion Group who attended the meetings, was quoted as saying.
He described the talks as “constructive and exploratory in nature.”
According to Bloomberg, those present at the closed-door talks said Srinivasan showcased a redesigned prototype of Malaysia’s visa application platform and floated the idea of fast-track visas for Network School participants.
The Network School, launched in 2024, is Srinivasan’s attempt to build a global tech-focused community inspired by ideas outlined in his 2022 book The Network State: How To Start a New Country.
The proposed project is to be based in Forest City, the sprawling Johor development near Singapore that has struggled for years with low occupancy and “ghost city” perceptions.
Srinivasan’s initiative has since brought in tech entrepreneurs and prominent speakers including Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and longevity entrepreneur Bryan Johnson.
Gobind visited the site on April 17 and later said what he saw “reaffirmed Malaysia’s position as a rising destination for global tech talent” in a social media post that was later taken down.
Some online critics questioned why a Malaysian minister appeared supportive of a project linked to Srinivasan’s broader ideas about decentralised digital communities and alternative governance models.
Bloomberg said it contacted Gobind but the latter’s spokesman declined to comment on why the post was removed.
The newswire added that Network School did not respond to its request for comment.
Date: 14 May, 2026 3:05 pm
Source: Malay Mail
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