MonkeDAO celebrates its fifth anniversary on August 30 at the Noviciado CoffeeShop in central Madrid, and the invitation is characteristically understated: networking with the Solana community and holders of Solana Monkey Business, raffles and surprises for attendees, drinks, food, and good atmosphere. Five years makes MonkeDAO one of the longest-running NFT-born DAOs still actively gathering, and the Spanish-language community that sustains it has become a fixture of Madrid's crypto social calendar.
Five years of monkey business
MonkeDAO formed around Solana Monkey Business, one of the earliest and most culturally significant NFT collections on Solana, and has outlasted multiple market cycles while keeping its identity intact. The DAO's survival strategy has been social rather than financial: regular in-person gatherings, an active Spanish-language community, and a refusal to pivot away from the holders who built it.
Anniversary editions draw past contributors who have since moved into roles across the broader Solana ecosystem, making this a quietly effective networking event for anyone building in Spanish-speaking web3. Kevin Webster and other recognizable ecosystem names appear on the attendee list already.
The raffle tradition alone draws regulars; past anniversaries have distributed merch, partner-collection pieces, and surprise upgrades to holders in attendance.
Format and language
Expect a relaxed cafe setting rather than a conference setup: Noviciado CoffeeShop occupies a corner space in Malasana-adjacent Centro, sized for intimate gatherings. The programming consists of open networking punctuated by raffle draws, with food and drink served. Conversations happen primarily in Spanish, though the Solana community's international makeup means English speakers will find company without difficulty.
Entry is free with prior registration, and places are explicitly limited, so the approval-required registration exists to protect capacity rather than gatekeep interest.
Getting there
Noviciado CoffeeShop sits on Calle del Noviciado in the Centro district, a short walk from Noviciado metro station and equally reachable from Plaza de Espana. The neighborhood's cafe culture means arriving early pairs well with exploring the area's independent coffee scene.
Madrid's crypto community has grown substantially alongside Spain's broader adoption rates, and MonkeDAO gatherings double as entry points into that wider network. Follow the host's channels for future editions; the DAO's anniversary happens once, but its regulars gather far more often than annually.
Solana Monkey Business legacy
Solana Monkey Business launched in 2021 as one of the first significant NFT collections on Solana, and MonkeDAO grew from its holder base into something rarer: a DAO that sustained real-world community activity across half a decade of market cycles. While many NFT communities dissolved when floor prices fell, MonkeDAO kept meeting, keep minting culture, and kept its treasury decisions tied to member governance.
That longevity gives this anniversary weight beyond nostalgia. Attendees include early Solana DeFi builders, marketplace founders, and artists who came up through the collection's creative commons ethos. For anyone studying how NFT communities survive their initial speculation phase, an evening with MonkeDAO's veterans offers primary-source insight no thread can replicate.
Registration approval typically processes quickly, but late August is festival-adjacent season in Madrid, so sort your spot days ahead rather than day-of. The venue is cash-friendly for extra rounds beyond what the DAO provides.