I went to Miami, Florida, more specifically a sandy barrier island covering less than 20 square kilometers across Biscayne Bay from the city proper called Miami Beach, from March 26 - March 30th. My primary goal was to conduct a beta test of our Polkadot Mobile App launching later this spring. The app allows users to make in-store purchases using their DOT in participating stores. Users will also be able to stake their DOT in the app to earn the corresponding rewards. This week would be the first significant test of the app in the wild, and thus an opportunity to obtain both quantitative and qualitative user feedback to improve the utility of the app and user experience.
The larger event itself was an opportunity for the Miami-based Polkadot ambassador community to connect with events and people visiting the city for the International Music Festival. Indeed, music and blockchain is a compelling match, bringing together decentralized technology with music distribution and worldwide fan experiences. I’m genuinely excited about the potential partnerships discussed over the week in the sun.
Upon reflecting on Miami Mega Week, however, what I realized is most intriguing is not the incredible value we got from users testing our Polkadot mobile app (happy to share more about that to anyone that’s interested), or the potential for new amazing partners (HMU for deets!), but rather it’s the vibrancy of the Polkadot community we’ve built in Miami and what that means, and what we can learn from it as we build other communities, particularly in North America.
So, a little about the city itself. The Miami metro area has a population of about six million, placing it in the top ten US metro areas. It’s a multicultural city, a gateway to Latin America, and it’s incredibly vibrant. Miami has a growing tech sector, a pro-business tax structure, and a crypto-friendly regulatory environment. It’s a good place to be, but it’s what you do with it that really matters. Community matters.
What makes the Miami Polkadot community special is their genuine approach to relationship building. In a space often dominated by transaction counts and token prices, our ambassadors prioritize human interactions. They’re not just promoting a technology; they’re fostering an ecosystem where builders feel supported, heard, and understood.
During Miami Mega Week, I witnessed this firsthand. At one combined music and Polkadot event at the downtown Italian restaurant Bellio, I observed our ambassadors engaging with a diverse group of entrepreneurs who were curious about blockchain, yes, but more specifically, who had a vision for their product that needed a partner to bring to life. They know, to some degree, what they need to accomplish, but not always how to get there. Rather than launching into technical pitches, our ambassadors listened intently. They created a space where these developers felt comfortable sharing their ambitions and expressing their challenges. Ambassadors sought to understand and solve their problems.
I rode with these same creators to the Inter Miami game, as part of a multi-party caravan who would be in attendance. They performed at the recent Glastonbury Music Festival, and shared their experience, which included a famous giant spider complete with its own lore. As I listened to them, I could hear the engineers I work with every day. These are craftsmen, who care deeply about what they do. I can relate to them. They talked about the vision for this fan experience, to be launched in Buenos Aires in the fall, and what they need to make it work. Do I know we can help them? No, I do not. But I know what problem they’re trying to solve, and I can take that with me and think creatively about whether we can (and should) be a good partner for them. I can start with their goals, not my solution.
Miami’s emergence as a crypto hub isn’t accidental. Mayor Francis Suarez has actively positioned the city as “the crypto capital of the world,” hosting Bitcoin conferences and encouraging blockchain companies to relocate. This top-down support combined with grassroots enthusiasm has created perfect conditions for communities like ours to thrive.
The Polkadot ambassador program in Miami exemplifies what makes our ecosystem special. They’ve moved beyond online forums and Discord channels to create meaningful in-person connections. They organize regular meetups at local tech hubs, host hackathons, and maintain relationships with universities to nurture the next generation of blockchain developers. This post wasn’t intended to be a promotion of our ambassador team, but rather to use them as a reminder that while we all care deeply about the tech and the mission of Web3, we’re building for other people, providing solutions for their needs.
As our Polkadot Mobile App moves closer to launch, I’m confident that the feedback gathered during Miami Mega Week will prove invaluable. But more importantly, I’m inspired by the community we’ve built – one that listens first, connects authentically, and focuses on solving real problems for real people. It’s a lesson I was reminded of in Miami, and one worth remembering.
For those interested in getting involved with the Miami Polkadot community or learning more about our upcoming Polkadot Mobile App launch, please reach out. A future is being built in Miami, and Polkadot is proud to be part of it.
