Rabbit holes 🐰

Our industry has forgotten what it’s like to be a beginner. It feels as if core values like inclusivity and empathy aren’t prioritized nowadays, despite being key ingredients for the much-needed real user engagement and retention.

Education —normal education, not just for techies or developers— is mostly on the back burner. SheFi is doing an amazing and proper job with effective results. However, there aren’t many other organizations or initiatives out there doing Web3 education for everyday people across multiple languages.

Most end users are not software developers and don’t have technical expertise and yet that’s what funding primarily goes.

Do you remember who the end user was intended to be? How can we expect any level of adoption if our educational efforts are focused only on creating new developers?

Water, water everywhere…

After 3 years attending different Ethereum events around the world, I always thought, “If I were a beginner, where would I go first?” Are Ethereum community events the best starting points for your journey into web3? The answer is not a straightforward yes or no.

For all the benefits of decentralization and an overwhelming amount of global ETH events to choose from, very few (or even none) cater specifically to newcomers. The truth is that, despite often thousands of attendees pouring into a chosen city, there’s rarely any instance inviting locals to START HERE 📍.

Imagine being a total beginner at a typical large-scale industry event. Finding something that caters to your needs would be like trying to find a sip of fresh water while lost at sea.

I also often wonder, beyond the tourism economy, if we as an industry leave these cities better off than when we found them. We arrive and takeover these areas for days and weeks at a time, and honestly, it would be valuable to know that somehow, our floating Web3 communities can bring long lasting value directly to the people of these cities.

This thought resurfaces every time I return from a big event, like EthCC Brussels. More recently, although I didn’t attend, the CT discourse around Korea Blockchain Week and Token 2049 Singapore made me feel the same way.

How have we not realized that new people are actually looking for novel onboarding experiences?

Hear me out…

While reflecting on the experiences lived during ETHCC and previous Ethereum gatherings, something clicked for me.

I know what you’re thinking: “Not another side event!”

Technically, yes, it’s a new event—but it’s not for us, it’s for them. For newcomers, it’s not a side event; it’s their main and first event.

Here’s the thing: new people are attending Ethereum events and we are not providing any or sufficient spaces to make them feel welcome or looked after.

Until now. The word on the ‘street’ was my sign to take action.

One giant leap

Born as an honest concern following EthCC [7], this idea and vision of creating a dedicated onboarding space solely for new, curious web3 explorers, is now becoming a reality.

“New to Web3? Start Here” is an onboarding initiative co-created by Ethereum community members who deeply care about people’s first steps in web3.

Together with Corinna Schlicht, Guilherme Maueler (Regens Unite), Caolán Walsh (ETH Ireland) and myself, we’ve been working on a pioneering concept: an onboarding event that quickly connects newcomers with the values of Ethereum and onchain culture through a meaningful, hands-on, actionable approach.

I’ve always believed it would be incredible for newcomers to experience the positive side of our industry right from the start—connecting with its values early on, while leaving the bad reputation, scams, and inevitable challenges as later learning moments, not their first impression.

The team has vast experience working with both tech and non-tech beginners, contributing across diverse public good projects like Bankless Academy, Regens Unite, ETH Ireland, and Crypto Comms Collective.

We share a strong belief in the potential of Ethereum and Web3, along with a deep commitment to building and supporting IRL communities.

What began as a strong intention and a post, resonated with many community BUIDLers on CT. I created a Telegram group to kick things off, and now here we are, sharing the story of this all came to life. If this topic resonates with you too, please reach out and join us - any type of support is greatly appreciated.

Before continuing I’d like to give a huge shoutout to all the contributors from different parts of the world who have shown interest in adding value to this initiative—whether online or onsite. Thank you Luke, Lucia, Didier, Rohit, Nat, Andy, Puncar, Fabio, Samarth, Cat, Russ, Trav, Valentina, Koko, Amelia, Nick, Nico, Manu, and everyone who has shared the initial announcement post on X (RTs appreciated!) 🚀

This event marks a first step in shifting the narrative around end-user education. Our goal is to connect newcomers directly with the BUIDLer spirit, regenerative finance, public goods, and digital art, music, and more—showcasing the positive aspects of our ecosystem as their first touchpoints in Web3. It’s time for the good side of things to get LOUDER, but with kindness and in style 🙂

The first edition of New to Web3? Start Here will take place on Friday, November 8th, from 12:00 to 08:00 pm, just before DevCon SEA 7.

Attendees will be able to: connect with a mentor, get their first Web3 wallet, send and receive transactions, mint digital collectibles, learn about building and contributing to public goods, join a DAO, connect with local Bangkok and global Web3 communities—and much more.

This wouldn’t be possible without the immediate support of Harpie, who were the first to raise their hands when this initiative was proposed publicly. A big thank you to Ash, Brit, and the complete Harpie team for championing end-user education. We need more of this, globally and in many languages 🌍.

Bangkok is the starting point, but I’m deeply looking forward to doing editions in Spanish, Italian and other languages as well. We’ve already received great feedback and requests in the Town Hall!

If this event can serve as a replicable format that can be adapted to local cultures and languages around the world, it would be a huge win for Web3 educators and explorers everywhere! 🏆 Together, we go further.

Knowledge Gives Rise to Friendship

Respecting local values and culture is a priority for us, and we’re extremely happy to have found a venue that reflects this. The chosen location is The Siam Society Under Royal Patronage, a green oasis 🌱 in the heart of Bangkok, less than 2 km from DevCon.

Established in 1904, the Siam Society’s mission is to promote knowledge of the culture, history, arts, and natural sciences of Thailand, as well as those of neighboring countries. Guided by its motto, “Knowledge Gives Rise to Friendship,” the venue also has an on-site museum. What better motto could we ask for?

For programming, the event will kick off with a welcome lunch for early arrivals, followed by community member introductions, sharing their stories and experiences in Web3.

We’ll host a guided workshop on setting up a Web3 wallet, leading into an afternoon of hands-on onchain activities in specialized booths, closing with meaningful connections, Ikigai sessions, music, and great vibes.

Come with zero, go home as a hero - but a hero with a path to follow and new friends!

Get Involved

Liked the idea? We’d love and appreciate your support! There’s many ways to get involved, before, during or after the event.

If you’re a web3 native, an onchain or an experienced community builder, we’d love to have you onboard. We’re especially looking for frens that speak Thai 🇹🇭 to help us guide the 100 attendees that will be getting onboarded for the first time.

Apply to participate as a mentor and help us connect local people with the positive aspects of our industry. If you have friends in Bangkok, please consider sharing the event link directly with them. Let’s continue building community in presence, wherever we go.

For more information, head over to the event page here:

and if you’d like to support this initiative with human resources, content or financially, feel free to reach out on X or Farcaster.

Let’s connect and help us push end-user experiences and education forward in positive and meaningful way.

Thanks for reading and see you in Bangkok!

🫡