- 29-year-old entrepreneur Dryden Brown secures massive funding for futuristic city-state Praxis.
- The project aims to blend Western values with cutting-edge blockchain and AI technology.
- Global network of 14,000 “Praxians” already supporting the ambitious urban development.
At a time when tech billionaires are buying up land and countries are racing to build carbon-free cities, one 29-year-old entrepreneur, Dryden Brown, thinks he’s cracked the code for a futuristic city. His blueprint is a crypto-powered, AI-fuelled city-state named Praxis — a place where digital infrastructure meets old-school Western values, and innovation is filled in the streets.
The concept might sound like sci-fi, but Dryden Brown already has $525 million USD (~$850 million AUD) secured to make it real. And if he gets his way, Praxis won’t just be another city. It’ll be a Network State — a digital-first society that will be governed by smart contracts and held together by belief, blockchain, and perhaps a bit of bravado.
A Vision of Tomorrow’s City
Praxis was founded back in 2019, and it isn’t trying to be the next Dubai or Singapore. It’s trying to be something entirely different: a city born from the internet, where technology and community evolve together with minimal regulatory barriers. Brown sees it as a sandbox for next-gen tools like AI, crypto, and biotech — a place where innovators can build faster and without constantly running into “that’s not allowed.”
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And Brown’s got some serious creative muscle behind his idea, too. Zaha Hadid Architects, who are known for their gravity-defying, future-forward designs, are helping sketch out the design of Praxis to shape it into a place as visionary in form as it is in function.
Funding the Future
If you’re wondering who’s willing to gamble half a billion dollars on a city that doesn’t exist yet, the answer is GEM Digital — a Bahamas-based crypto investment firm that’s chipping in $500 million USD. Another $25 million USD is coming from Arch Lending, which is a group that backs large-scale, risk-heavy ventures. But this isn’t just a blind bet. The funds will be released in phases and are tied to clear milestones. Brown explains:
“Upon witnessing institutions like BlackRock’s commitment to crypto, we designed a mechanism to finance large-scale projects using RWAs, in collaboration with Global Emerging Markets and Arch Lending for the largest new city development project in the Middle East.”
Building Tomorrow Today
Many people are wondering where Praxis is being built, but Brown is keeping the final location under wraps, although negotiations are reportedly underway with landowners in Latin America and the Mediterranean. Wherever it ends up, Praxis will cover about 1,000 acres and house up to 10,000 people. It’ll operate in a special economic zone —a kind of regulatory free pass — to attract global talent and give the city room to experiment.
Already, over 14,000 people, who are being called “Praxians,” have signed on to be part of the movement. That’s more than just a fan base; it’s a global community that is ready to shape the city’s culture and ideas before even a single brick is laid.
Unlike traditional cities that are governed by paperwork and political gridlock, Praxis plans to run on code. Literally. Governance, infrastructure, and day-to-day services will rely on blockchain systems, which will enable automated resource allocation via smart contracts, real-time energy usage controlled by AI, and fully digital ID systems for residents.
The tech doesn’t stop there, though. Praxis also wants to embed 6G networks, renewable microgrids, AR-enhanced public spaces, and autonomous transportation into its foundation. Homes will be smart thanks to IoT device,s and streets will be responsive. The entire urban experience will be one giant upgrade from the slow, crumbling cities we’ve come to expect.
But will this idea actually come to life? There is some scepticism among critics who point to the usual problems, such as over-reliance on volatile crypto markets, the complexity of building from scratch, and some past stories about smart cities that ended up never happening. Still, Brown’s ability to secure serious funding suggests that the dream is more than just PowerPoint slides and X threads. If Praxis pulls it off, it could become a blueprint for how we think about cities in the digital age—not just as places to live, but as platforms to build on.
