Techno-libertarians are flocking to the Caribbean
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The Americas | Castles made of sand<br>Techno-libertarians are flocking to the Caribbean<br>Angry locals are trying to shut them down<br>Share
Illustration: The Economist / Alamy
Jun 11th 2026|CHARLESTOWN|4 min read
THE ISLAND of Nevis, a sleepy speck in the eastern Caribbean, is up in arms. Last year Olivier Janssens, a Belgian crypto billionaire who acquired local citizenship through investment, surprised his 13,000 fellow islanders by declaring the construction of a huge, futuristic enclave. If approved, the “Destiny” project will span a tenth of the island and accommodate 10,000 new residents with their own currency and courts. It would be the “Monaco-Dubai of the Caribbean”, according to Mr Janssens. Locals are outraged. “You’ve got to be crazy,” says Glendale Herbert of the Nevis community foundation.
This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition under the headline “Castles made of sand”
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