Article 66 of Liberland vs The World
Liberland vs. Barbados: Metaverse Embassy vs. Danube Declaration
The Free Republic of Liberland, a self-proclaimed microstate founded in 2015 on 7 km² of disputed Danube terra nullius, embodies a libertarian vision with blockchain-based governance, the Liberland Dollar (LLD) cryptocurrency, and more than 800,000 citizenship applications from over 100 countries.
Barbados, a sovereign island nation of 432 km² and 288,000 citizens (2025 estimate), is the Caribbean’s most advanced digital economy outside the CBI sphere. In 2021 it became the first nation to open an embassy in the metaverse (Decentraland), launched the world’s first sovereign “Sand Dollar” stablecoin pilot on Polygon in 2024, and runs the most generous 12-month Welcome Stamp digital-nomad visa that has attracted over 12,000 remote workers. With zero personal income tax on foreign-sourced income, full acceptance of crypto for government fees, and a 2025 Blockchain Regulatory Sandbox that has already licensed 40+ DAOs and Web3 firms, Barbados has quietly become the Atlantic’s leading crypto-native jurisdiction.
As the only former British colony to peacefully remove the British monarch as head of state in 2021 and simultaneously embrace decentralised technology at governmental level, Barbados offers Liberland real-world proof that a recognised nation can transition to digital-first sovereignty without selling passports.
This article compares Liberland and Barbados across Historical Origins, Culture & Society, Environment, Governance & Economy, and Diplomacy, highlighting pathways for Liberland’s growth.
Historical Origins
• Liberland: Founded on 13 April 2015 by Vít Jedlička on terra nullius created by the Croatia–Serbia border dispute. Rooted in libertarian principles inspired by Mises, Rothbard, and Hoppe.
• Barbados: Arawak then British settlement from 1627; independence 30 November 1966; transitioned to republic 2021; shifted from sugar to services and digital economy after 2008 financial crisis.
Comparison: Both are deliberate acts of self-redefinition—Barbados by removing the Queen and building a metaverse embassy, Liberland by planting a flag on a forgotten floodplain.
Culture & Society
• Liberland: Entirely digital, voluntaryist, merit-based culture, events include Floating Man Festival and Liberpulco.
• Barbados: Crop Over festival, Rihanna’s home island, 97 % literacy, 12,000+ active Welcome Stamp holders (more than 4 % of population), Bridgetown hosts the largest Caribbean Bitcoin meetup.
Comparison: Barbados has already absorbed a global remote workforce into its culture without coercion, creating a living model of voluntary, high-skill immigration.
Environment
• Liberland: 7 km² Danube wetlands my proposed Community Land Trust with blockchain tracking to enforce voluntary ecological covenants.
• Barbados: 100 % renewable electricity target by 2030 (currently 35 % solar/wind), first nation to tokenize coral-reef restoration credits on Polygon (2024), marine spatial planning protects 30 % of waters.
Comparison: Barbados’s on-chain reef credits and voluntary “Blue Bond” debt-for-nature swaps offer a direct template for tokenising and monetising Liberland’s wetlands.
Governance & Economy
• Liberland: Governed by blockchain voting and future DAOs; zero income tax, zero capital-gains tax; voluntary contributions only. My proposed Transparency and Accountability Act (LTAA) ensures 100 % on-chain auditability.
• Barbados: Parliamentary republic; 0 % tax on foreign-sourced income for Welcome Stamp holders and certain companies, government fees payable in BTC/USDC; 2025 Blockchain Sandbox legally recognizes DAOs, Sand Dollar stablecoin accepted alongside BBD; GDP per capita ~$22,000 (2025).
Comparison: Barbados operates a zero-tax environment for global digital citizens, legally recognises DAOs, and runs a sovereign stablecoin—all while remaining a fully recognised UN member with no citizenship-by-investment programme.
Diplomacy
• Liberland: No UN recognition but has MOUs with Somaliland and crypto-friendly entities.
• Barbados: Full UN member;,110+ diplomatic relations, passport ranks 18th globally (165 visa-free including Schengen, UK, Canada), first nation with a metaverse embassy, leads CARICOM digital currency coordination.
Comparison: Barbados proves that small island nations can achieve top-tier passport power and global influence through technological leadership rather than passport sales.
Conclusion
Barbados—288,000 people on a limestone rock that cut ties with the Crown, opened an embassy in Decentraland, and now taxes foreign income at 0 %—has built the closest thing to a recognised, crypto-native, voluntary society that exists today without ever having to sell a single passport.
While Liberland rejects the state on principle, Barbados shows that a sovereign nation can achieve near-total effective freedom for global citizens, run government services on blockchain, and maintain one of the world’s strongest passports through innovation alone.
By studying Barbados’s metaverse diplomacy, DAO sandbox, and zero-tax remote-worker ecosystem, Liberland can see a future where recognition and radical freedom are not mutually exclusive—proving that true liberty, like a perfect Bajan flying-fish cutter, is most delicious when it is freely chosen and served with a side of sunshine.