Air rights refer to the legal ability to occupy the vertical air space above a plot of real estate. Air rights encompass the space above a property, from the upper stories of a high-rise building, to power lines, to a region of airspace above a property. Air rights often come into play with commercial and residential real estate located in urban areas—like Manhattan and Brooklyn in New York City—where space on the ground is limited, and developers maximize buildable space by building vertical structures like skyscrapers. Developers can buy air space with or without buying the building on ground level to increase a space’s property value.

Property rights defined by points on the ground were once believed to extend indefinitely upward. This notion remained unchallenged before air travel became popular in the early 20th century. Legislators established a public easement for transit at high altitudes to promote air transport, regardless of real estate ownership.

BlockQAI and the new technologies being built into its subsidiary “A Real Blockchain Solution” have again raised questions about ownership of “space” and the upward bounds of individual and national sovereignty. With the advent of space travel above earth’s atmosphere, the height at which individual and national sovereignty extend.