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Multipolitan, a Singapore-based borderless living platform, has examined how emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, the metaverse, and even orbital infrastructure, are beginning to redefine traditional ideas of citizenship, sovereignty, and governance.
This was made known during the unveiling of The Digital State Project on Tuesday during a media briefing with African journalists attended by PREMIUM TIMES.
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The project features contributions from global technology and governance leaders, including James Ellsmoor of Island Innovation and William Wang, chief executive of RNS.ID and architect of Palau’s Digital Residency Programme.
Others are Metaverse entrepreneur Briar Prestidge; Ukraine’s deputy minister for digital transformation, Oleksandr Bornyakov; Estonia’s former chief information officer, Luukas Ilves; space investor Anna Hazlett; and SuperWorld founder Hrish Lotlikar.
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Speaking at the unveiling, Multipolitan’s chief executive and co-founder, Nirbhay Handa, said the foundations of nationhood were shifting from physical borders to digital systems.
“Our grandparents crossed borders with passports. Our children will cross them with digital identities,” Mr Handa said, “We will soon log into nations, not just fly into them. For centuries, geography shaped sovereignty. In the digital-first era, sovereignty will be shaped by digital identity systems and the rules that govern them.”
Global voices vs African audience
Highlights from the events featured global leaders speaking on various aspects where these technologies are changing the narrative.
Mr Ellsmoor highlighted how climate-threatened island nations such as Tuvalu are already experimenting with “digital sovereignty” to preserve statehood and cultural identity if rising sea levels erase physical territory.
Mr Wang explained that Palau’s digital residency initiative allows foreigners to obtain a government-backed digital identity without ever visiting the Pacific island nation, a model the report says could become common in the coming decades.
Governance meets the metaverse
Beyond digital passports, the report explores concepts such as “on-chain citizenship”, AI-powered public services, virtual embassies and cities enhanced by augmented reality.
Mr Prestidge, an adviser to INTERPOL on metaverse investigations, argues that immersive digital environments are becoming tools for nation branding, social interaction and economic activity, blurring the line between physical and virtual belonging.
Mr Lotlikar’s contribution focuses on how cities may evolve into “living interfaces”, where culture, commerce and governance converge through blockchain and spatial computing.
Ukraine’s digital transformation experience also features prominently. Mr Bornyakov outlines how the country’s Diia platform has enabled millions of citizens to access government services through smartphones, even amid war.
Mr Ilves, who previously led Estonia’s digital government reforms, said Ukraine’s deployment of artificial intelligence in public administration could signal the rise of what he termed “agentic states”, governments capable of anticipating citizens’ needs and automating service delivery.
Toolkit for governments and investors
The Multipolitan report was designed as a practical guide for policymakers, technology founders and investors navigating the future of governance.
“It distils real-world lessons from leaders already building digital public services, identity systems and sovereign infrastructure,” the company said.
Founded in 2024, Multipolitan describes itself as a platform for “borderless living”, combining immigration services with a mobility app that allows users to live and work across multiple jurisdictions.
The company was co-founded by Mr Handa, a former executive at Henley & Partners, and Lee Smith, who previously co-founded Japanese payments firm Paidy, acquired by PayPal for $2.7 billion.
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