Polkadot Sanctuary in Bali

The Polkadot Sanctuary in Bali is a brand new event space and co-working hub to increase the presence of the Polkadot ecosystem in Asia/Pacific region, with the weekly hackathons creating a dynamic NFT system to measure contribution and reward individuals. Inspired to bring attention to the ecosystem values, a group of Polkadot Ambassadors decided to make the first Polkadot Hub happen in the region. The chosen location was Bali, a popular digital nomad destination, which presented a great opportunity for Polkadot to enter the region and start building the community. To do this, they plan to organize weekly meetups, hackathons, networking events. There is a high enthusiasm among local developers to learn about Web3, but there is a lack of high quality local meetups and co-working sessions available. Therefore, the group hopes to provide an opportunity for local developers to learn how to build on Substrate and for beginners/non-developers to start their journey in the Polkadot ecosystem/Web3.

Polkadot ambassador, Six (David Pethes) wanted to create not just a co-working space, but something more exclusive.

Hubs are envisioned as a way to bring together local communities, providing education and a place for high net-worth individuals to make moves, build their reputation, and offer stability for those interested in Polkadot. Bali is a great opportunity for a high-quality event series for those who have missed events, and the hope is to catch the best people from the region and digital nomads who are travelling through.

"We plan hackathons every week. People can come to these to learn, they can also join if they have a specific project and want to show it off. We help to do the projects together, learn together, grow together. Of course we also organize meetups. On these AMA-meetings, you can ask anything about Polkadot and the Kusama metaverse. Also, together with the web3 Polkadot community we go on jungle trekking, do water sports, yoga courses, or just watch a movie, talk somewhere. It's a system and a way of life at the same time. " - told Six.

The funding comes from Polkadot, and angel investor Crypto CTF has also came in and provided the initial impetus. Ecosystem Partners can also join and anyone can book an appointment on the timetable.