Updated on:12/03/2025 04:22 PM 
On June 9th, 2023, London witnessed the grand opening of its revolutionary decentralized crypto community workspace as ThursDAO welcomed the inaugural cohort of web3 pioneers to their flagship venue. This innovative coworking collective—dubbed ThursDAO—is establishing itself as a vital resource hub for London's thriving blockchain ecosystem, designed specifically to support and empower local crypto community organizers.
The first cohort comprises over 30 dynamic web3 entrepreneurs aged 18-40, representing diverse professional backgrounds and skill sets. This rapid expansion and adoption serves as an compelling case study in decentralized community building and demonstrates the practical applications of DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) for coordinating real-world initiatives and collaborative projects.
My professional journey began at the intersection of digital strategy and community mobilization. In 2016, I immersed myself in the emerging field where cryptocurrency and political activism converge. After taking a hiatus from the blockchain space in 2019 to serve as a professional community organizer for Elizabeth Warren's presidential campaign, I returned to the crypto world with fresh perspectives on collective action and engagement.
Relocating to London to pursue a master's degree in public policy at the prestigious London School of Economics and Political Science, I immediately recognized the city's exceptional potential as a global crypto innovation hub. Compelled by the strength of London's burgeoning blockchain community, I decided to establish my base here, integrating my community organizing expertise with my passion for web3 development through ThursDAO.
Currently operating from The Bakery—a premier innovation lab that connects high-growth startups with established corporate partners—ThursDAO's rapid success builds upon more than eight months of dedicated community building and strategic development that ultimately led to our current home base.
Our journey began on August 30th, 2021, when Tim Copeland, a close friend and News Editor at The Block, initiated a call via Twitter for a new crypto meetup in London. As coronavirus restrictions eased, this invitation provided a much-needed social connection after months of remote isolation. A small group began gathering weekly at a Shoreditch establishment on Monday evenings to discuss blockchain developments, eventually forming what became known as MonDAO, which Tim continues to facilitate today.
During one of these Monday gatherings, several participants expressed interest in collaborating during weekdays. Five of us convened at a local café the following Thursday, marking the unofficial inception of ThursDAO. This founding group included fellow community organizers, including Tim Coleman—whose name coincidentally mirrored our own—who continues to be an integral part of ThursDAO's organizing team as the Ethereum London community lead.
After several months operating from the Fix126 café in Shoreditch, we were generously offered space within the Rise Barclays accelerator. During this period, an intriguing phenomenon emerged as other crypto community organizers created parallel initiatives. One group "forked" the MonDAO concept, establishing a central London social gathering held in SOHO on Tuesdays, aptly named TuesDAO. This was followed by WednesDAO, a virtual meetup conducted via Zoom on Wednesdays. In solidarity with this expanding ecosystem, our crypto coworking collective officially rebranded as ThursDAO and intensified our organizational activities.
The recent market volatility has underscored the critical need for web3 entrepreneurs to access robust resources, supportive networks, and collaborative spaces that enable sustained innovation during challenging economic conditions. ThursDAO has been specifically designed to address these needs and provide a foundation for long-term growth in the blockchain industry.
It's important to highlight that ThursDAO operates as a not-for-profit initiative. Our core mission is to create a workspace that maximizes accessibility, affordability, and inclusivity for all participants. All our Core Contributors and organizers volunteer their time and resources, often covering unexpected expenses out of pocket. We offset membership costs through generous sponsorships from partners who share our vision—including Penrose Partners, SENTR3, Unegma, Zebu Digital, CoLabz, and our host venue, The Bakery. We continue to seek additional sponsors who can help us scale operations and extend our presence to multiple days and venues across London. Currently meeting only on Thursdays, we plan to expand our offerings to include Tuesday and Wednesday sessions by July of this year.
As our resources and membership base expand, so do our opportunities for meaningful engagement. We plan to host complementary events in partnership with other blockchain community groups, including educational workshops, expert panel discussions, innovation hackathons, founder networking sessions, communal meals, and knowledge-sharing gatherings. The most inspiring aspect of welcoming our first official cohort has been the creative and proactive ways members have chosen to contribute to our collective success.
Some members have taken responsibility for maintaining our shared space, others manage our inventory by procuring office supplies as needed, one member is developing our upcoming digital platform, and several are creating content to expand our community reach. Entrepreneurs within our community are building products that will enhance our operations, including a token-based access control system for our entrance, an NFT rental marketplace for daily passes, and a recurring payment portal for membership dues.
The playful "wen token" and "wen NFT" discussions have emerged in our private Telegram channel. While we currently have no plans to tokenize our operations, the potential utility of DAO methodologies and tools for our long-term development is evident. The evolution from MonDAO to ThursDAO demonstrates the remarkable speed and efficiency achievable through decentralized community organizing.
I've been reflecting on the striking parallels between my experiences in political organizing and web3 community building. Both approaches harness the collective power of communities united by common objectives and mobilize participants through thoughtful incentive structures. My next experimental project will explore applying DAO frameworks to political processes. However, during periods of market uncertainty and doubt, I often return to the campaign mantra that resonated during my time with the Warren campaign: "Outwork. Out-organize. Outlast."
