Tulum Crypto Fest (TCF) was my first event networking in a glittery diamond bikini, sipping lemon grass mezcal, lounging in a VIP treehouse listening to keynote speakers as women swam topless in a serene luxury cenote, pleasurably enjoying their goddess wild side in the mystic jungles of Tulum, Mexico.
I kept hearing that this was not your average crypto festival… and the crypto hippies were right!
From my experience in Tulum over the past 5 months, anything goes. On any given day you’ll find nomadic singles from every country, entrepreneurial risk takers who’ve bet on themselves, their dream, their future- and have won- polyamorous sensual sushi parties, temple priestess gatherings where the divine feminine is fully embodied through dance and pleasure, sacred cacao ceremonies, and now, establishing itself as a worldwide Web3 hub, Tulum is quite the place to express yourself, find yourself, and BE yourself.
In a place where spiritual debauchery and creative self expression run rampant, it makes sense that Tulum is the perfect location to host a festival for the future of decentralization, reinventing the world we want for ourselves and humanity. A world of full self expression, creativity, freedom, play, pleasure, power, and minimal rules where we can blossom into our truest, wild, primal selves IRL (in real life), with ever expansive opportunity virtually through Web3. A Web3 world provides infinite opportunity: financial, economical, spiritual, intellectual, entrepreneurial and beyond. For the Tulum crypto community, building in Web3 also means using blockchain technology to give back to society and merging the power of NFTs, cryptocurrency and DeFi to develop eco-conscious regenerative projects that heal the planet.
Immanuele Cape, the Crypto Gypsy
Immanuel Cape, the Crypto Gypsy, also known as the The Freedom Rebel, Co-Founder of TCF and the Tulum Crypto Club is notoriously known for his “barefoot luxury” lifestyle. Rather than Lamborghinis, penthouses, jets or the usual crypto flex, Cape prefers a different kind of luxury: the “freedom to do what you want everyday,” barefoot, happy, and wild. One can imagine that this type of freedom may seem impossible during a bear market, but Cape’s success isn’t measured by the size of his crypto wallet. It’s measured by the size of his worldwide community and the impact he’s making on the lives of others.
Tulum Crypto Community
TCF was a true testament to the power of a strong community coming together to curate an IRL experience for crypto lovers, DeFi rebels, leaders of the metaverse, freethinkers, NFT artists, and musicians. Even local Mexican government official, Senadora Indira Kempis Martínez, attended as a keynote speaker, showing support for Bitcoin as a national Mexican currency.
Presented by Tulum Crypto Club, Coworking Tulum, Like Group, Feel the Fruits DAO, and Vesica, TCF opened with a traditional Mayan ceremony, honoring the sacred lands of the Yucatan Peninsula through Mayan prayers, drumming, copal, and a cacao ceremony.
There were over 60 speakers, panel discussions, and beachside chats among the coconut trees, white sand, and jungle boho-chic treehouses of Papaya Playa Project (PPP), Tulum’s most iconic event venue. Topics of conversation included bitcoin economics, environmental effects of mining, the future of real estate, NFT ticketing, crypto event management, designing the Metaverse, how NFTs can save the planet, a regenerative Tulum Coin DAO, and the importance of more women voices in crypto and Web3.
There were 3 days of educational talks, rooftop after parties in La Valeta with DJ Prayer, and a Full Moon Celebration on Saturday, one of the weekend’s most enticing experiences. The final day concluded with the more spiritually conscious vibes of Tulum, where guests relaxed and decompressed at the infamous Vesica Cenote, a luxurious private cenote with Mayan architecture and jungle elegance. As a spiritual seeker and consciousness expander myself, the Wellness Day at Vesica was my favorite day! Besides, what Tulum festival would be complete without spiritual workshops about activating quantum wealth, healing our relationship/trauma around money to increase abundance, cold plunging ice baths, akashic record readings, tarot, shibari, breathwork, kundalini yoga, and a closing Mayan ceremony?! Not only was TCF an extraordinary weekend of IRL networking and transformative performances, but the cosmos were also shifting and transforming above us. A total lunar eclipse was on full display for the closing DJ set of Eli Fola, a Nigerian-born, NYC and LA based sound artist, saxophonist, DJ and producer. We danced and swam to Eli Fola’s signature Tech Afrique beats under the “Super Flower Blood Moon” lunar eclipse and it was truly the most unforgettable experience!
Over the ecstatic 3 day weekend, I found myself conversing with talented NFT artists, crypto millionaires, TV producers, self love experts, tantric sexual healers and crypto monks who’d left the monastery and joined the hype of Web3.
This is just a glimpse of the magic of the crypto lifestyle in Tulum. When revolutionary thinkers come together, the synchronicities, the wonder, the supernatural, and impact align. When done consciously, this kind of alignment can lead to transformational events not only for our personal growth and enjoyment, but also for the betterment of society and the planet.
