Countries
Which countries will be best to live in the Crypto enabled Age of Agents?
Where will be the best place to live when intelligence has no moat and money is meaningless?
See Trad vs Future Lens for how this reorders everything.
📄️ Australia
📄️ Denmark
Can the happiest country in the world evolve its social contract to embrace decentralized systems—or will the innovator's dilemma trap it in legacy infrastructure?
📄️ India
Can the world's largest democracy and youngest workforce leapfrog legacy systems to become a crypto superpower—or will regulatory hostility squander the demographic dividend?
📄️ Kazakhstan
Can Central Asia's largest economy—with abundant energy, progressive crypto regulation, and Solana adoption—become the region's blockchain hub?
📄️ New Zealand
Can a small island nation at the edge of the world become the prototype for how communities coordinate in the AI-crypto age?
📄️ South Korea
Can a nation that mastered cultural exports and hardware manufacturing reinvent itself as the global hub for AI agents and crypto coordination?
📄️ United Kingdom
Can post-Brexit Britain become Europe's crypto capital—or will regulatory uncertainty squander its common law advantage?
📄️ USA
The world's largest economy and innovation engine—but can a polarized nation with regulatory chaos become a coherent crypto jurisdiction?
The Platform Benchmark
Countries are Platforms. We benchmark them as operating systems for society.
- Hardware: The geography, resources, and people.
- Software: The laws, culture, and coordination standards.
- User Experience: How easy it is to live, build, and transact.
The Platform Scorecard
Every platform—physical or digital—trades off across five vectors. These map to the Tight Five:
| Platform | Trust | Speed | Flexibility | Openness | Skin in Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Principles | Performance | Platform | Perspective | Purpose | |
| Social cohesion | Execution velocity | Adaptability | Information access | Aligned incentives | |
| Digital Nation States | |||||
| Ethereum | High (Decentralized) | Low (Gas costs) | Medium (EVM lock-in) | High (Open source) | High (ETH staking) |
| Solana | Medium (Validator set) | High (400ms blocks) | Medium (Monolithic) | High (Open source) | Medium (VC concentration) |
| SUI | Medium (Mysten control) | High (Sub-second) | High (Move language) | Medium (Newer ecosystem) | Low (Early stage) |
| Physical Nation States | |||||
| Denmark | High (Consensus) | Low (Bureaucracy) | Low (Civil Law) | Medium (State systems) | High (Social contract) |
| India | Medium (Hierarchy) | Medium (Bureaucracy) | Low (Regulation) | High (UPI success) | Low (30% crypto tax) |
| Kazakhstan | Low (Authoritarian) | Medium (AIFC fast) | High (AIFC enclave) | Low (State control) | High (Energy + Solana) |
| New Zealand | High (Egalitarian) | Medium (No. 8 Wire) | High (Common Law) | High (OIA) | Medium (Small market) |
| Portugal | Medium (Stable) | Low (Bureaucracy) | Medium (EU rules) | Medium (EU standard) | Low (Brain drain) |
| Singapore | Medium (Authoritarian) | High (Efficiency) | Medium (Pragmatic) | Low (Controlled) | High (Reserves) |
| South Korea | Medium (Hierarchy) | High (Ppalli-ppalli) | Low (Regulation) | Low (Chaebol control) | Medium (Corporate) |
| United Kingdom | Medium (Class) | Medium (Brexit) | High (Common Law) | High (Free press) | Medium (FCA evolving) |
| USA | Low (Polarized) | High (Move fast) | High (Common Law) | High (1st Amendment) | Low (Financialized) |
Legend:
- Trust = Do participants cooperate honestly? (Maps to Principles)
- Speed = How fast can decisions execute? (Maps to Performance)
- Flexibility = Can the system adapt to new paradigms? (Maps to Platform)
- Openness = Is information freely accessible? (Maps to Perspective)
- Skin in Game = Are incentives aligned with outcomes? (Maps to Purpose)
The Build × Scale Matrix
The Platform Scorecard answers: "What's it like to live here?"
It doesn't answer: "Can you build something here that stays here?"
Some countries are greenhouses — perfect for germination, wrong climate for mature growth. Others are deserts — harsh for seedlings, rewarding for those who survive. The gap between incubation and scale is where value leaks.
Low Scale Capacity High Scale Capacity
┌───────────────────┬───────────────────┐
Strong │ GREENHOUSE │ POWERHOUSE │
Incubation │ Denmark, NZ │ USA, Singapore │
│ (talent exports) │ (talent imports) │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────┤
Weak │ DESERT │ MAGNET │
Incubation │ Kazakhstan │ Dubai, Estonia │
│ (imports both) │ (imports seeds) │
└───────────────────┴───────────────────┘
| Quadrant | Pattern | The Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Greenhouse | Incubates well, can't scale. Companies relocate for market proximity, talent density, funding access. | Why do winners leave? |
| Powerhouse | Incubates AND scales. Network effects compound. Winner-take-most dynamics. | What's the moat? |
| Desert | Neither incubates nor scales. Requires external injection of both talent and capital. | What would change? |
| Magnet | Can't incubate locally but attracts mature companies. Regulatory arbitrage, tax optimization. | Is this sustainable? |
The Denmark Example (via Michael Sieverts):
"6 million people. Fintechs shaping money infrastructure."
Denmark excels at infrastructure-focused innovation — compliance, regtech, payments plumbing. "Danes love rules and structure" creates competitive advantage in regulated sectors.
But: Chainalysis → New York. Tradeshift → San Francisco. Why?
- Market proximity (customers are US enterprises)
- Talent density (specialists cluster)
- Funding access (scale capital lives elsewhere)
- Ecosystem effects (network value compounds)
The questions this matrix reveals:
- What keeps companies once they need to scale?
- Is "incubate then export" a viable national strategy?
- Can regulatory moats survive when companies can relocate?
- What would turn a Greenhouse into a Powerhouse?
The Build × Scale Scorecard
| Factor | Greenhouse | Powerhouse | Desert | Magnet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talent Origin | Local | Both | Imported | Imported |
| Talent Retention | Low | High | N/A | Medium |
| Funding Stage | Seed/Series A | All stages | External | Growth+ |
| Market Access | Limited | Global | Limited | Regional |
| Regulatory Moat | Strong | Variable | Weak | Arbitrage |
| Network Effects | Weak | Strong | None | Artificial |
| Value Capture | Low | High | Low | Medium |
Where the gap is: Most country assessments focus on conditions for starting. The invisible dimension is conditions for staying.
The Goodwill Foundation
How solid is the home for building goodwill among citizens?
The Foundations framework identifies what all beings need to flourish. Countries are platforms that either enable or block these flows:
Blocks Goodwill Flow Enables Goodwill Flow
┌───────────────────────┬───────────────────────┐
Strong │ FORTRESS │ GARDEN │
Natives │ Denmark, Japan │ NZ, Portugal │
│ (insiders flourish) │ (all can flourish) │
├───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┤
Weak │ WASTELAND │ CASINO │
Natives │ Failed states │ Dubai, Singapore │
│ (nobody flourishes) │ (money flourishes) │
└───────────────────────┴───────────────────────┘
The SCARF Test at Country Level
The brain treats social needs like survival needs. Countries that threaten these drives create "unhappy expats in happy countries":
| Drive | Question for Newcomers | Denmark Score | NZ Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Can you earn respect? | Low (Janteloven) | Medium (No. 8 Wire) |
| Certainty | Can you read the rules? | Low (implicit codes) | High (direct culture) |
| Autonomy | Can you choose your path? | Medium (systems) | High (flexibility) |
| Relatedness | Can you belong? | Low (closed networks) | Medium (friendly, shallow) |
| Fairness | Are the rules equal? | Medium (for residents) | High (egalitarian) |
See SCARF drives for the framework.
The Goodwill Flow Checklist
| Foundation | What It Enables | Blocked By | Enabled By |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust | Cooperation without friction | Opacity, corruption | Transparency, verification |
| Shelter | Stable base for action | Housing crisis, ownership barriers | Access, tokenization |
| Energy | Power to act | Scarcity, dependency | Abundance, local grids |
| Health | Body that works | Access barriers, cost | Universal coverage |
| Learning | Capability to grow | Credential gatekeeping | Open education, verifiable credentials |
| Connection | Others who matter | Closed networks, language | Integration programs, third spaces |
The Denmark Paradox Explained
Denmark scores high on Trust (for natives) but low on Connection (for outsiders). The goodwill flows freely within the system but has high barriers to entry.
This is the Fortress pattern:
- Natives: High Status, High Certainty, High Relatedness
- Newcomers: Threatened Status, Low Certainty, Blocked Relatedness
The "happiest country, unhappiest expats" paradox isn't a contradiction — it's the Fortress working exactly as designed.
Questions the Goodwill Foundation reveals:
- Does the platform enable agency for everyone, or just insiders?
- Can trust be built, or must it be inherited?
- Where does social capital accumulate? Can newcomers access it?
- Which SCARF drives are threatened for different populations?
See Goodwill, Foundations, and The Heroes Journey for the underlying frameworks.
Trad Lens vs Future Lens
Where will be the best place to live when intelligence has no moat and money is meaningless?
The current framework measures against an antiquated model. What happens when intelligence is ubiquitous (zero cognitive moats) and money means nothing (cultural motivators replace economic incentives)?
The question inverts:
- Trad Lens: Where can I make money and build things?
- Future Lens: Where can I live well with good people?
Trad Lens (2024) Future Lens (2031+)
┌─────────────────────┬─────────────────────────┐
Optimizes │ Economic opportunity│ Quality of existence │
For │ Value extraction │ Value of experience │
│ Talent attraction │ Community belonging │
│ Business building │ Inner space exploration │
└─────────────────────┴─────────────────────────┘
What Matters When Moats Collapse
| Trad Lens Metric | Future Lens Equivalent | Why It Inverts |
|---|---|---|
| GDP / Income | Time with good people | Money can't buy what matters |
| Business opportunity | Community density | Can't build your way to belonging |
| Talent pool | Values alignment | Intelligence is free; character isn't |
| Regulatory clarity | Freedom to explore | Rules matter less than agency |
| Scale capacity | Beauty / Nature access | Growth is meaningless; experience isn't |
| Tax optimization | Health infrastructure | Longevity > wealth |
The Reordering
| Country | Trad Lens Rank | Future Lens Rank | Reason for Shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 1st (Powerhouse) | Low | Optimized for extraction. Polarized. Low trust. Bad health. |
| Singapore | High (Efficiency) | Medium | Authoritarian. Controlled. Nature-poor. |
| Denmark | Medium (Greenhouse) | High | Once inside, goodwill concentrated. Strong social fabric. |
| NZ | Medium (Small market) | 1st | High trust. Beautiful nature. Egalitarian. Good company. |
| Portugal | Low (Brain drain) | High | Climate. Beauty. Slow pace. Community focus. |
The Fortress Revaluation
In the Trad Lens, Denmark's Fortress pattern is a weakness — blocks talent, exports winners, hard to enter.
In the Future Lens, the Fortress might be the point:
- Concentrated goodwill (not diluted by extraction)
- Strong social fabric (built over generations)
- High trust (within the walls)
- Quality of life (not optimized for productivity)
The question: Is the wall a bug or a feature? Depends on whether you're measuring economic throughput or existential quality.
Future Lens Scorecard
| Factor | Question | What to Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Good Company | Who will you spend time with? | Community density, values alignment, social access |
| Beauty | What will you see and experience? | Nature access, aesthetics, inspiration |
| Health | How long and well will you live? | Healthcare, longevity research, food quality |
| Climate | Is the environment hospitable? | Weather, climate resilience, air quality |
| Agency | Can you explore inner space? | Freedom, spiritual infrastructure, meaning access |
| Belonging | Can you become part of something? | Integration path, community rituals, shared identity |
The Ultimate Measure
From the claude-mental-model:
"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." "No road is long in good company."
Good company is both the method AND the measure.
When intelligence is free and money is meaningless, the only question is: Who do you want to spend your time with, and where do they live?
Games Shape Goodwill
But where does good company come from? Culture. And what shapes culture? Games.
Games → Beliefs → Consensus → Identity → Culture → Goodwill
The chain is clear:
- Games define what counts as "winning" → shapes what we value
- Games set valid moves → shapes what we consider possible
- Games create shared experiences → shapes what "we all know"
- Games reward behaviors → shapes what we consider good
The leverage: Printing press → AI (printing press × 1 billion) → Games (interactive choose-your-own-adventure). Whoever designs the games shapes the beliefs at billion-fold scale.
The spirit matters. Games can be designed for extraction (attention capture, addiction loops, zero-sum competition) or for coordination (collaboration, skill development, positive-sum play). The spirit in which games are designed and played is the greatest teacher and influence of individuals and collectives.
Future Lens implication: When intelligence has no moat and money is meaningless, the countries that matter will be those that:
- Design games that shape better culture
- Export coordination models that build goodwill
- Demonstrate how to play positive-sum games at scale
This isn't about hosting game studios. It's about exporting how to coordinate for greater good.
The NZ Opportunity:
New Zealand already exports coordination culture through rugby — a game that demands alignment of diverse players, fast collective decisions, and shared sacrifice for common goals. Rugby culture has spread globally through the diaspora.
The question: Can NZ export the spirit of coordination games — not just sports, but the principles — as the template for how AI-human collaboration should work?
| What NZ Has | What It Could Export |
|---|---|
| Rugby coordination model | Coordination game design principles |
| Egalitarian culture | Positive-sum game mechanics |
| Cooperative heritage (Fonterra) | Tokenized coordination models |
| High trust society | Trust-building game loops |
| Small scale (5M) | Prototype ground for global games |
See Games, New Zealand, and Culture for the underlying frameworks.
See Predictions for the evolution timeline and The Game for what matters beyond economics.
The Insight
Digital nation states optimize for different trade-offs than physical ones:
| Dimension | Physical Nations | Digital Nations |
|---|---|---|
| Exit cost | High (uproot life) | Low (move wallets) |
| Entry barrier | High (visas, language) | Low (internet access) |
| Rule change | Slow (legislation) | Fast (governance votes) |
| Enforcement | Coercion (police, courts) | Code (smart contracts) |
The question isn't "which is better?" but "which platform serves your purpose?"
The "Open Source" Thesis
Hypothesis: Centralized investment creates the Innovator's Dilemma. Denmark has invested heavily in centralized digital infrastructure (e-Boks, MitID). This is currently "world-class" legacy tech. It works so well that they have no incentive to switch to decentralized, open standards (DePIN/Blockchain).
The Opportunity: Countries with Common Law (NZ) or less "perfect" legacy systems have the incentive to leapfrog directly to open-source protocols.
"Blockchain is the advancement of open source. As time has proven, open source wins."
Scorecard Checklist
The platform and culture to provide citizens with the agency to live a good quality life when they invest good intentions into the shared pool of goodwill.
The following intention is to evolve an open and honest framework for assessing what is like to live in a country as a non-native citizen through a comprehensive yet practical approach to evaluating countries, balancing traditional quality of life factors with forward-looking considerations around cryptocurrency, blockchain, AI, and technological innovation.
By systematically working through these categories, you can make an informed decision that aligns with both your current needs and future aspirations in our rapidly evolving global landscape.
Transformational Forces
Governance and Political Environment
-
Political Stability
- Government consistency and predictability
- History of peaceful transitions of power
- Geopolitical positioning and international relations
-
Regulatory Framework
- Cryptocurrency regulations (clear, supportive, or restrictive)
- AI regulation approach (innovation-friendly vs. restrictive)
- Tax treaties and international agreements
- Decentralized leadership structures
-
Decision Power Distribution
- Concentration of power (centralized vs. distributed)
- Citizen participation in governance
- Transparency in government operations
-
Legal System
- Property rights protection (including digital assets)
- Intellectual property protections
- Efficiency of dispute resolution
- Corruption levels and enforcement
Economic Environment
-
Tax Structure
- Personal income tax rates
- Capital gains tax (especially for crypto assets)
- Specific crypto tax exemptions
- Territorial vs. worldwide taxation
- Wealth taxes
-
Financial Infrastructure
- Banking system openness to crypto
- Fiat-crypto gateways
- Financial services availability
- Payment systems and innovation
-
Business Environment
- Ease of doing business ranking
- Startup ecosystem vitality
- Foreign business ownership restrictions
- Support for entrepreneurs
- Industry-specific opportunities
-
Cost of Living
- Housing costs relative to income
- Food and daily expenses
- Healthcare costs
- Education expenses
- Transportation costs
-
Job Market
- Opportunities for internationals
- Remote work infrastructure
- Salary levels relative to global standards
- Work permit accessibility
- Industry growth projections
Technology and Innovation
-
AI Development
- AI research institutions
- Government AI initiatives
- AI talent pool
- Ethical AI frameworks
-
Blockchain Ecosystem
- Local blockchain projects and companies
- Crypto adoption rates
- Mining-friendly environment
- Blockchain education and resources
-
Digital Infrastructure
- Internet speed and reliability
- 5G coverage
- Power grid stability
- Data center availability
-
DePIN Infrastructure
- Support for decentralized infrastructure
- IoT adoption and innovation
- Smart city initiatives
- Regulatory openness to new infrastructure models
Residency and Immigration
-
Residency Options
- Investment-based residency programs
- Entrepreneur/startup visas
- Digital nomad visas
- Path to permanent residency/citizenship
-
Immigration Process
- Complexity and transparency
- Processing times
- Documentation requirements
- Cost of immigration
-
Ease of Integration
- State-funded integration resources
- Expat community networks
- Language barriers and support
- Cultural adaptability challenges
Quality of Life
-
Healthcare System
- Quality of medical facilities
- Healthcare accessibility for foreigners
- Cost of healthcare services
- Health insurance options
-
Education System
- International schools availability
- Higher education quality
- STEM education focus
- Blockchain and AI educational opportunities
-
Safety and Security
- Crime rates
- Political stability
- Natural disaster risks
- Cybersecurity infrastructure
-
Transportation Infrastructure
- Public transportation quality
- Road infrastructure
- International connectivity (airports, etc.)
- Future transportation initiatives
-
Housing and Real Estate
- Housing availability
- Property ownership rights for foreigners
- Real estate market stability
- Rental market quality
Cultural and Social Environment
-
Social Glue Factors
- Trust levels in society
- Sense of belonging for foreigners
- Social support networks
- Civic participation opportunities
-
Cultural Harmony
- Attitudes toward foreigners
- Diversity and inclusion
- Equal rights protection
- Religious freedom
-
Work-Life Balance
- Working hours culture
- Vacation time norms
- Family-friendly policies
- Leisure opportunities
-
Community Engagement
- Expat communities strength
- Local integration opportunities
- Networking events and resources
- Volunteer opportunities
Environmental Factors
-
Climate Considerations
- Weather patterns and comfort
- Seasonal variations
- Climate change resilience
- Air quality
-
Environmental Sustainability
- Renewable energy adoption
- Environmental protection policies
- Sustainable agriculture practices
- Nutrient management in soil and oceans
-
Natural Resources
- Water quality and availability
- Green spaces accessibility
- Biodiversity protection
- Resource management practices
Future Outlook
-
Economic Projections
- GDP growth forecasts
- Industry development plans
- Currency stability outlook
- Inflation projections
-
Technological Advancement Plans
- Government technology initiatives
- R&D investment trends
- Innovation hub development
- Digital transformation roadmaps
-
Crypto and Blockchain Future
- CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency) plans
- Blockchain integration in government services
- Crypto industry growth projections
- Regulatory evolution trends
-
AI and Automation Readiness
- Workforce adaptation programs
- AI ethics frameworks development
- Automation impact planning
- AI governance structures
Practical Considerations
-
Language Requirements
- Official language(s)
- English proficiency levels
- Language learning resources
- Documentation language requirements
-
Time Zone Compatibility
- Alignment with business partners
- Impact on remote work arrangements
- Seasonal time changes
-
Accessibility
- International flight connections
- Visa-free travel to other countries
- Regional mobility options
- Digital accessibility
Implementation Strategy
- Prioritization: Rank the importance of each category based on your personal circumstances
- Research: Gather data on top 3-5 countries using the framework
- Scoring: Create a weighted scoring system for your priorities
- Reconnaissance: Visit top candidates for boots-on-the-ground assessment
- Network Building: Connect with local expats and crypto communities
- Test Run: Consider a temporary stay before full commitment
- Regular Reassessment: Review your situation annually as regulations and conditions evolve
Research Resources
-
Information Sources
- Expat forums and communities
- Government immigration resources
- Crypto and blockchain community insights
- Economic research reports
- Quality of life indices
-
Support Networks
- Professional associations
- Crypto and blockchain meetups
- Expat support groups
- Industry-specific communities
-
Consultation Resources
- Immigration attorneys
- Tax advisors with crypto expertise
- Relocation consultants
- Cultural adaptation coaches