A network state’s sovereignty begins with its ability to enforce and maintain control over its own territory. This self-custody of land, water, and air space is a defining feature of its autonomy, distinguishing it from traditional nation-states reliant on centralized institutions. The self-custody of territory in a network state is underpinned by both digital ownership mechanisms and autonomous systems, which act as the custodians of its borders and properties.

Property Custody via NFTs

Within the borders of a network state, properties—whether physical structures, facilities, or even plots of land—can be custodied through digital locks authenticated via non-fungible tokens (NFTs). These NFTs are tied directly to the network state’s identity stack, a recursive system that aggregates personal identities with organizational relationships. Through on-chain consensus, these NFTs are granted or revoked based on the identity stack, meaning that access to facilities, properties, or restricted areas is controlled not by physical keys or central authorities, but by decentralized smart contracts.

In this model, anyone seeking access to a property within the network state must prove ownership or authorization through their NFT, which is verified against the network state’s identity framework. This method not only decentralizes property control but also enhances security, as access can be granted, transferred, or revoked in real time based on consensus without the need for third-party intervention.

Enforcing Territory via Autonomous Systems

The borders of a network state—whether on land, water, or air—are enforced by advanced autonomous systems, which serve as the network state’s border control mechanisms. These systems are not mere physical barriers but intelligent, decentralized machines governed by a set of protocols that ensure their loyalty and effectiveness in maintaining the custody of the territory.

For land-based autonomous systems, the execution of territorial enforcement is governed by non-stationary machines. These machines operate on bare-metal firmware stacks that capture the state-action matrix, a record of all actions taken by the machine and its surrounding environment. This state-action matrix is continually fed to execution clients, which interpret the data, and validator clients, which confirm the actions’ legitimacy. By pushing the validated state-action matrix on-chain, the network state creates an immutable record of the decisions made by these autonomous systems in defending and patrolling its territory.

Stationary validator machines play a key role in this process. These validators ensure that the actions taken by the non-stationary machines comply with the network state’s territorial policies and self-custody protocols. Once validated, the autonomous systems themselves are empowered to enforce the custody of the territory, whether through physical deterrence, digital monitoring, or coordination with other autonomous systems.

This self-custody system extends beyond land borders to encompass water and air territories. Autonomous ships and drones, for example, can perform similar territorial enforcement in oceans or skies, ensuring that the network state’s borders remain secure across all domains. These systems are guided by the same execution clients and validator processes, creating a decentralized but cohesive network of machines that collectively uphold the state’s sovereignty.

The self-custody of territory within a network state is a multi-layered system involving both digital mechanisms (such as NFTs for property access) and physical enforcement by autonomous systems. This decentralized approach ensures that control over land, water, and airspace remains firmly in the hands of the network state itself, free from external interference and capable of adapting to new security challenges. By leveraging both blockchain technology and autonomous machines, a network state creates a resilient, scalable, and fully decentralized system of territorial self-custody.