Source: Wired
by Joel Khalili
“When I visited the Free Republic of Liberland in April 2023, on its eighth anniversary, there was little to indicate that the tiny proto-nation — which had no permanent residents, barely any buildings, and a tendency to flood — was on track to fulfill its goal of becoming ‘the freest country on the planet.’ But these days, Liberland has friends in high places. … With Chinese cryptocurrency billionaire Justin Sun as its new prime minister, Liberland is aiming to make strides in international diplomacy — particularly in the US — and finally settle the land it claims to own. … Since US president Donald Trump won reelection in November, Sun has forged a close relationship with the Trump family. He has struck up a business partnership and assumed an adviser role at World Liberty Financial, a crypto business cofounded by the Trumps, and invested tens of millions of dollars in crypto coins tied to the Trump family.” (08/25/25)