Devcon thru my Lens (Bangkok recap)
Disclaimer: you may feel extreme FOMO reading this.
After a year full of crypto events, I decided to finish off with a Bang(kok). Hopping on a plane to my third timezone in seven days, I headed to Thailand to attend Devcon and plug myself into the perfectly organized chaos of the streets, soon to be crawling with a crypto crew assembled from places far, far away.
Before I go into great detail about my experience, I have to give flowers to the Avara team who made the trip possible and gave me an unforgettable experience (literally, I collected so many moments I’ll never forget — my brain is still bursting with joy). I’d like to sprinkle a special shoutout to Paris and MP for their support, encouragement, and the pure fun we all had on this trip.
Now on to the recap.
Meeting Moo Deng
On Sunday before Devcon week officially kicked off, I boarded a bus with 60 of my besties for a Lukso event. We headed over to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo to meet the one and only Moo Deng — a pygmy hippo that became an overnight sensation thanks to her playful and often erratic tantrums (let’s be honest, this is so relatable, she’ll fit right into the crypto cultural fabric).
An hour and a half of snacks, a pop quiz, and catching up after a few months of being apart, we arrived and threw on our bespoke Moo Deng shirts. We made our way down to her little pond passing deer, monkeys, and capybarras. The crowd went nuts when Purrcat fed a monkey a banana she had carried that whole morning — the moment was purr-fection.
Vana Coinempress, a fellow Orbian and Lens Creator had been publicly counting down the days to this event on X and honestly, I was more excited to witness Vana seeing Moo Deng than hanging out with lil miss “bouncy pig” myself. The experience did not disappoint.
Moo Deng splish-splashed, tried to climb on her mommy’s back, and kept falling because she was a tad too slippery and chonky. We awwwww-ed in a synchronized chorus of adoration. This will go down as one of the most unique side events in Devcon history, IMO.
Big shoutout to Louie and the Lukso team who designed, organized, and hosted the whole thing. If you ever hear about a crypto side event and think to yourself “OMG this is exactly what I need! Why did nobody else think of this?” chances are, Louie had something to do with it.
The Night Before Christmas
Remember when I said I had some unforgettable moments at Devcon? This has got to be my favorite. The night before the SheFi summit, a.k.a Devcon Eve, I got the treat of a lifetime. Team Avara invited me to shop. And that means treat yourself to some incredible, top-notch merch you’d want to rock anywhere, all the time, in public for the world to see.
As I walked into the hotel suite, I felt like I had crossed into Narnia. Picture this: a two-bedroom suite stacked with the industry’s most-coveted pieces, from pants to shirts, socks, bracelets, plushie toys, and backpacks…nearly floor-to-ceiling. People genuinely take photos of strangers wearing Avara backpacks around the world and call them “sightings” (guess it makes sense since there’s a ghost patch on the bag lol), so I was over the moon to finally get my hands on one.
Picking up a tote, I made my way around mountains of merch choosing one of each item. Honestly, it was incredible. I felt like a kid at a candy store but where the candy is actually good for you and you can have it over and over again (fun fact: I’ve washed my Lens socks 73 times in 4 months and they still look and feel like new).
What I love about Avara merch is not just the fresh designs but the fact that they produce everything from organic materials and ethically — each of these shirts and pants is hand-stitched. So you can feel good knowing that you’ve supported someone’s mom in the process.
I got so excited by my shopping experience that it took me an extra two hours to fall asleep that night (worth it).
SheFi Summit
On the early morning of November 11, an auspicious day regardless of whether you care about numerology or just like to flex those angel numbers, hundreds of women gathered at the Glass House. I was there with Team Lens running a booth for the guests where they got to pick up some of the new socks and bracelets.
To me, the SheFi Summit is an incredible value for my time because, in the span of a workday, I get to see over a hundred of my best girlies and meet so many new rising stars. I opted for a white, “Madam President” inspired dress and tastefully adorned my wrist with Lens bracelets.
The programming featured some of my favs including MP, Natasha from Boys Club, Reka, Evin McMullin from Privado ID, Britt from Harpie, and Winny, the Founder of Chipped. Roisin from Nillion gave us a sweet stretch sesh at midday to recenter and refocus.
I was able to grab some interviews asking some of the ladies how they felt about the space and I’m happy to report — they all felt like we’re moving in the right direction and continuing to lower the barrier of entry for women.
Devcon — getting mobbed for merch (and loving every moment of it)
You know that feeling when you wait for something for actual ages and in the blink of an eye, it zooms by you, and you’re left feeling exhilarated, exhausted, and excited? This was Devcon for me.
Since I started posting on Lens via Orb Club on August 9, 2024, I managed to build a community of 6,000+ followers. The Lens team invited me to do an on-the-ground activation with them and my answer was “duh, yes of course.”
We set up a booth and from the moment our “doors” opened on day 1 until the conference wrapped, we were absolutely swamped in the best of ways. Frens and fans came by to snag some of the brand new Lens merch which I lovingly call pret-a-porter Fall/Winter 2024. In the crypto world, Avara merch is couture.
I met a ton of friends from Orb and couldn’t help but chuckle every time we addressed each other by our handles. “Hi, Tinyrainboot!”
While there were so many pockets of sheer joy, one moment definitely stood out — we onboarded someone’s literal mom.
You know how crypto builders often say “We’ve made it when we can explain what we do to a mom?” Yeah, did that. She set up her Orb profile then and there and walked away with some sweet Lens swag, bowing in gratitude.
The Orb team stopped by to support — we talked stickers with Kimmo and Jaq, new updates, the creator economy, and how fast the community is growing.
On the Lens side, Stani Kulechov himself was there to talk to anyone who had questions, comments, and ideas. I had never interacted with Stani in person before, apart from exchanging comments on Orb mostly about food and vacation recs. Well, I can report that he’s exactly as he appears online — a friendly, grounded, and kind founder. Of course, with a side of being extremely freaking smart. He took the time to thoughtfully listen to everyone who wanted to chat and was even handing out merch himself.
Running the Lens booth with the Avara team was fun, wholesome, and extremely energizing.
On Wednesday, we opened up the long-awaited Aave Labs booth. Devs, builders, marketers, and founders flocked immediately not just to grab a pair of the new purple pants but to share their vision and ask team Aave for feedback. Stani was whiteboarding the latest v4 concepts with engineers and answering questions.
Tucked behind the booth table and locked in tunnel-vision-style, I relied on friends and attendees to give us feedback.
“You guys had the most packed booths of all!” Said a friend.
“Holy cow, D, I stopped by three times to see you, and each time I couldn’t even get through the crowd!”
That makes me happy. And I know the whole Avara team is grateful to be able to connect with people IRL.
Devcon week thru my lens culminated with Stani’s talk. A sea of heads nodding in unison, the audience both observed and absorbed. Touching on seven key factors, from building an engaged developer community to continuing the commitment to onchain decentralization, Stani laid out his vision and was met with ardent applause.
Boys Club: Boys Night Out
What’s a crypto event without a Boys Club function? Sing Sing Theater glowed in the dark, inviting guests in with warm red hues. Giant (actually, two-feet-long) latex fans were given as gifts which came in extremely handy as the night heated up.
Dancers in shimmering outfits and fringe dresses descended from the chandelier. The dancefloor filled up, creating an inviting atmosphere to close your eyes and just vibe.
Cocktails and mocktails flowed, and the Boys Club photographer methodically made his way through the crowd directing us in various poses and helping us serve face. I rocked my signature blue BC hat and a two-piece outfit I had scored at Punkberry just for the occasion.
Jaq from team Orb gave her all on the dancefloor begging the question “Can we all bend like that?!” I made the mature decision to leave at midnight, Cinderella-style — on the back of a scooter zooming through the low-lit streets on a humid night.
DeFi Renaissance
In an ocean of chaos, DeFi Renaissance was the ultimate classy affair. A well-curated event, the speaker list featured industry giants including Stani (Founder & CEO Aave Labs), Rune Christensen (Co-Founder Sky and Maker DAO), Kain Warwick (Founder, Infinex, and Synthetix), Konstantin Lomashuk (Co-Founder, Lido, and Cyber Fund), Amanda Cassatt (CEO, Serotonin), Sara Reynolds (Protocol Architect, Uniswap), Emilie Raffo (Founding Partner, ChainSecurity), and more.
Programming was so good, that the room ended up being entirely packed with people happy to stand for 60 minutes straight to absorb every word of every panel. Not an empty spot in sight.
Held at Bangkok’s SoHo House, Aave Labs had set up the ultimate “shopping” experience for guests where they got to choose premium swag including ultra-rare backpacks, new edition purple pants, tees, socks, bracelets, and even Ronnie plushies.
The audience was made up of VCs, builders, and founders. My girls and I hung out in a pool cabana, green juices in hand. DeFi Renaissance felt like an oasis in the midst of Devcon’s dead heat. At one point, when the venue reached capacity, a line was forming out the door literally stretching around two corners, and it didn’t die down until the end.
The evening wrapped with delicious snacks, cocktails, and wine. Like I said — a classy affair through and through.
Hot Take Pool Party
As the Bangkok temperatures teetered to the brink of 100, we gathered at the S/O rooftop to dip our toes in the glassy infinity pool, get our nails Chipped with Winny and Flo, and capture memories on Boysc Club branded Polaroid cameras.
Cait Cavell worked the room like no other, doing interviews where guests shared a hot take each. Natasha stunned in a white two-piece outfit, a graceful hostess as always. Miranda made her way along the pool bathing us in her warm, friendly energy. And I got to meet the newest member of the Boys Club team — the gorgeous Yuneida — content queen and vibes curator.
Fresh (actually, the exact opposite) of the Lens booth at Devcon, I thought I wasn’t going to make it. As the calendar invite popped up on my phone, I realized I had left my bikini in my hotel but as my lucky stars would have it, Masha from Uniswap gifted me a pair of their epic Muay Thai shorts. I threw them on in the bathroom, rolled my shirt up, and Grab-bed a scooter.
All I can say is that the shorts stole the show. I think they seriously unlocked a whole new side of my personality and better even, I met my style twin — Kayla, the Duchess of Bushwick.
Boys Club never disappoints. From finding the most epic venues to curating the best crew, to documenting the experience in the most BC club possible — they are the queens of crypto side events.
GRWM for rAAVE
rAAVE is hands-down the most anticipated party at each major event, including Devcon. And this time, I got to host an intimate dinner, drinks, and let’s-glitter-up-our-faces get-together.
The invite-only dinner featured 20 of my close friends (of course, all of them Lens girlies). I put my kitten heels on for a night of well-deserved fun. We had gourmet Italian bites at Bella Sera, making sure everything was customized for my gluten-free and vegan queens. Winny and Flo from Chipped gifted us a couple of their new nail sets to play with. We took pictures, talked boys, work, the new season of The White Lotus, and everything in between.
As someone who spent half her life bullied by women, this was really special for me. The crypto space has allowed me to finally find my people. In fact, I think many other girls will agree with that.
rAAVE
This edition took rAAVE’s reputation to a whole new moon (both literally and figuratively).
For its 10th anniversary, Ronnie went all out. The theme was cosmic noir and to my surprise — some 80% of all guests had made an effort! Swapping branded tees and cargo shorts for black, gold, and silver outfits, the rAAVE-rs glowed in the night.
This fit the sentiment of the event perfectly, as behind the scenes, Bitcoin kept climbing to hit an all-time high, boosting everyone’s bags across the board. Dancing backstage with my rAAVE-coded fan, I watched the collective vibe of the room gradually and decisively rise.
Friends were blowing me air kisses from the other side of the room. Dappa Dan made his way across the dancefloor carrying a shimmering ghost elevated on a poll.
A rotating, jewel-encrusted model of Ronnie graced the DJ booth beaming brighter than the sky on a full-moon night in Thailand. And King Draco remained the undisputed dancefloor champ. Who said devs are all brains and no banter?!
It was perfection. As a Scorpio ascendant, I felt like this vibe absolutely encapsulated my personal aesthetic — the mystery, the intensity, the spark. Ten out of ten, no notes.
Family and Lens brunch
I love me a good brunch on a Friday morning, especially to decompress after a long week. In fact, brunch is the perfect gathering — it’s not too early and not too late. It features specialty coffee and croissants, in this case, macaroons too. Avara had thrown this event as a celebration of their Family wallet (whose UX is smoother than butter on a clotted creme scone) and Lens.
Similarly to DeFi Renaissance, people showed up looking stylish, asking good questions, and giddy with excitement to snag a pair of the new Family socks. In my opinion, the Family merch is the only merch out there that can rival the cuteness and soul of the Lens merch. But hey, it’s not a competition. These brands are all a big family (pun intended, lol).
The post-Devcon blues
Devcon is such a timewarp. Not only does your brain get hyper-stimulated (especially if you have ADHD), but it completely twists your notion of time. On Monday, the week felt long. Tuesday felt like it should have been Friday. By Thursday, the speed of it all had gotten fast and furious. Friday snuck up on us all leaving us hungry for more.
As someone who experiences a sharp and fast emotional dip after socializing for a week straight, I took a whole weekend to recover. I touched some grass at Benchakitti Park and got a massage to have the adrenaline physically stretched and squeezed out of my body.
Dr. Seuss said, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” I’ve been to over a dozen events this year alone and I can wholeheartedly say, Devcon has been my favorite yet. This is mostly thanks to the Avara team and being able to yap about Lens which is my absolute passion, as well as seeing my blockchain besties all in the same place for the first time since ETH CC.
So what’s next? Probably ETH Denver. But first, I think we could all use a breather to replenish our happy chemicals and process all this amazing madness. I’ll be on the beach just outside of Barcelona diving into content creation, trying (and probably failing) to meditate, and getting gradually grounded.
Final words
I hope to see you on Lens. This week has shown me that the community we’re building is moving in the exact right direction — bringing creative, kind, and cultured people together. If you want to hang, download the Orb app, and let’s grow together. If I didn’t get to meet you on this trip, please write to me and I hope our paths cross soon.
