Special Digital Economic Zones
= Tech-Driven Jurisdictional Experiments
Description
Felipe Oriá:
"The concept of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) isn’t new—but what we’re seeing now is a digital reinvention of that model. Zones like Prospera in Honduras, Crypto Valley in Zug, Switzerland, and Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) are not just offering tax benefits or startup-friendly legislation. They are offering entire regulatory frameworks optimized for digital governance.
These “Special Digital Economic Zones” function as testbeds for alternative governance models, often featuring bespoke arbitration systems, private dispute resolution mechanisms, and a blend of public-private rulemaking. In some cases, the line between centralized national state governance, corporate platform governance, and network-based governance blurs entirely
This creates a kind of "Governance-as-a-Service" model: companies and communities can choose from a menu of governance structures, legal systems, and compliance regimes — often without the political negotiation or democratic accountability we expect in traditional states."