IRL and community are the alpha. The last 10 days, first at ApeFest in Charleston and then in New York, reminded me of that in the best way. First, what an event the Apes put together. Charleston was a reminder of what makes NFTs special, and why the Apes are one of the best communities out there. It was my first ApeFest, and not for a second did I feel like I was among strangers. The Apes are some of the warmest, most helpful and most inclusive people I’ve ever met. The fest ran over several days and was a real showcase of what a great community looks like. Many of the events were hosted and run by community members themselves. People from different parts of the world, different age groups, different interests. Everyone showed up and had a blast. I don’t think I’ve ever made so many friends in so little time. For us at @OriginalBlokyz , it was a big week: - Partnered with the Greenvisorgang team to showcase Blokyz to the Ape community - Joined the Builders Brunch hosted by the @opensea team, met some incredible builders and found ways to work together - Met the legends @beeple and @AdamWeitsman , showed them Blokyz, and were lucky enough to get a blank Bloky signed by Beeple himself! The main event took us to Beeple Studios. Pretty much a pilgrimage for anyone building in NFTs, and a rare peek inside the brain of a GOAT. Nobody was ready for the Mud Water drop. When we got the band, I assumed it had something to do with Muddy Waters, the blues legend. Wrong. But what a masterclass from @yugalabs in a community-aligned, well-executed, action-first drop. ApeFest also gave many of us the chance to explore Charleston, a beautiful and historic city. Team Blokyz hosted a small dinner with some of our collectors (@PitchMoneyMaker @robcurated @onchainKei ) and welcomed a few new ones into the Blokyz family. ( @mgmm @Burstlink80 Then we flew to NYC. Had a few strategic meetings, an amazing dinner at @jed_131 's place with the NYC Blokyz community and other guests @CharliegNFTeth @jp_moregainz @jbondwagon @GiuComia @zjbrenner @NFTCrazyKRC @JesseFriedland . A pizza gathering organised by @jbondwagon and @GiuComia which turned into an impromptu food tour led by the amazing NYC Apes. @GreenVisorGang @MrMcFly100 @beijingdou I’m coming home with one thing clearer than ever. Building a strong community, especially one with real-life roots, is everything. To every Ape who welcomed us, fed us, introduced us and made us feel at home: thank you. You’ll always hold a special place in my heart. Special shout out to @RidazLp2 @iampapito_eth @Rahim_mahtab @Tma_420 @BR4ted @Kingpickle @BoredApeYC