Digital governance is emerging as a major growth frontier for technology firms, opening new markets for digital identity, artificial intelligence and blockchain-based platforms as governments rethink how states, citizenship and public services function in a digital-first world, according to a new report by borderless living platform Multipolitan.
The report, titled The Digital State Project, which was discussed in a virtual press conference on Tuesday, argues that rapid advances in AI, blockchain, immersive technologies and even orbital infrastructure are reshaping governance beyond traditional geographic boundaries, creating opportunities for companies building identity systems, AI-driven public services and compliant digital infrastructure.
Multipolitan said in the report that states are increasingly being designed like platforms, with digital identity acting as the core layer through which citizens access services, participate in governance and engage economically.
“We will soon log into nations, not just fly into them,” said Multipolitan’s Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Nirbhay Handa, noting that sovereignty in the digital era will be defined by identity systems and the rules that govern them rather than physical borders alone.
Drawing on eight expert contributions, the report examines how governments and private-sector builders are already experimenting with digital citizenship, e-governance protocols and AI-powered public services. These shifts, it said, are creating demand for secure identity platforms, interoperable data systems, automation tools and trusted AI agents capable of delivering personalised services at a national scale. Among the case studies highlighted are Palau’s Digital Residency programme, which extends sovereign identity beyond geography, and Ukraine’s Diia platform, widely regarded as one of the world’s most advanced digital governance systems. Contributors argue that such initiatives demonstrate how digital public infrastructure can be rapidly deployed when identity, data and intelligence layers are tightly integrated.
The report also explores emerging concepts such as nations as a service, on-chain citizenship and agentic states, where AI systems automate routine government functions, anticipate citizen needs and improve service delivery. According to the authors, these models could significantly lower the cost of governance while opening commercial opportunities for technology providers supporting compliance, security and scalability.
Beyond nation states, the report points to cities as key testing grounds for digital governance, with augmented reality, Web3 and decentralised ownership models turning urban spaces into living interfaces where commerce, culture and public services converge. It also examines how the metaverse is being used for identity, nation branding and human connection, as well as the growing importance of space and digital infrastructure in future sovereignty debates.
Multipolitan said The Digital State Project is intended as a practical toolkit rather than a theoretical exercise, distilling lessons from policymakers, technologists and investors already building digital public services and sovereign infrastructure. The target audience includes government leaders modernising identity and service delivery, founders developing products for borderless users, and investors tracking the convergence of governance, AI, mobility and infrastructure.
The report features insights from James Ellsmoor of Island Innovation, William Wang of RNS.ID, Briar Prestidge of Prestidge Group and OLTAIR, Hrish Lotlikar of SuperWorld, Ukraine’s deputy minister for digital transformation Oleksandr Bornyakov, former Estonian chief information officer Luukas Ilves, space investor Anna Hazlett and Multipolitan’s Nirbhay Handa.
Multipolitan, which is headquartered in Singapore, said the report seeks to answer a central question facing governments and businesses alike: what it means to be a citizen, a state or a society in an era where identity, intelligence and participation are increasingly digital.
