Solana’s largest community-run coworking meetup, hosted by Barrett, is facing a space crunch in Salt Lake City. With the event attracting a significant number of attendees, the current supply of monitors is proving to be insufficient. Barrett, donning his cowboy boots, took a stroll through the bustling WeWork venue, observing rows of desks occupied by crypto developers and laptops. Already, 50 out-of-towners have arrived, and another 150 are expected to join, putting the event organizers in a predicament.
Realizing the imminent shortage of monitors, Barrett made the difficult decision that those with a Vision Pro would have to work from the couch. This move highlights the growing popularity and demand for Solana’s ecosystem, as NFT enthusiasts, market makers, crypto-payments experts, validator operators, decentralized governance thinkers, and other individuals involved in the crypto space gather in Utah for the next three weeks.
MtnDAO, previously known as “Solana’s most notorious hacker house,” has seen a significant increase in participants compared to previous editions. This February, the event received sponsorship funding from the Solana Foundation and a few representatives, lending an air of officiality to the gathering. However, Barrett remains the driving force behind the event, as he owns the monitors and has the final say in decisions such as choosing the local restaurant for catering. Even the WeWork site managers on the fourth floor defer to him.
Barrett, along with his co-host Edgar Pavlovsky of MarginFi and their intern Anders, will ultimately determine the winner of mtnDAO. They will be providing regular updates, capturing the atmosphere, conversations, and profiling the startups competing for the $150,000 prize money awarded to the best in show.
The article, edited by Nick Baker, provides insights into the growing popularity of Solana’s ecosystem and the challenges faced by the community-run coworking meetup. With the event attracting a diverse range of individuals from the crypto industry, it serves as a platform for networking, collaboration, and showcasing innovative startups.