Edge City Lanna

Oct 10th – Nov 10th 2024

Chiang Mai, Thailand

A popup village to incubate a flourishing future.
Join us October 10th - November 10th in beautiful Chiang Mai to live in a healthy community focused on incubating novel technologies and ways of living. Read the Lanna welcome essay here.  

Edge City is an IRL experimentation lab for new ideas, tech, culture, and organizations, all dedicated to accelerating human flourishing.

Read more about Edge City here, and check out the gallery of our past events.  
APPLY FOR LANNA

The Experience

Welcome to Chiang Mai

01

A city where ancient history meets cutting-edge innovation.


Nestled in the mountains of Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai offers 700-year-old temples, bustling markets, and a vibrant modern culture.

Start your day meditating in serene temples and end it by discussing, building, and testing the latest advancements in frontier tech, from Crypto to AI.

A city where ancient history meets cutting-edge innovation.

Nestled in the mountains of Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai offers 700-year-old temples, bustling markets, and a vibrant modern culture.

Start your day meditating in serene temples and end it by discussing, building, and testing the latest advancements in frontier tech, from Crypto to AI.

Co-live and Co-work

02

Lanna will offer a great mix of options for living and working, with something for everyone.

Our local partners

03

We are working with world-class local collaborators John Ho (the founder of Alt_Coliving) and Pat from Idext, who have built some of the most beloved coliving and coworking spaces in the city.

In collaboration with them, we will be helping cultivate the innovation and startup ecosystem in Chiang Mai.

This gathering will plant seeds with their full-time locations and bring energy that will have a lasting impact on a space and a community.

We are working with world-class local collaborators John Ho (the founder of Alt_Coliving) and Pat Idext, who have built some of the most beloved coliving and coworking spaces in the city.

In collaboration with them, we will be helping cultivate the innovation and startup ecosystem in Chiang Mai.

This gathering will plant seeds with their full-time locations and bring energy that will have a lasting impact on a space and a community.

Residencies & Experiments

Crafting tech that values human connection, using cutting-edge cryptography and zero-knowledge systems.
Apply here
Experiments
Tap, connect, match: Cryptography-powered social networking for meaningful connections.
Experiments
RadicalxChange tests a community currency ∈dges, fostering local economic growth and collaboration.
Experiments
Interdisciplinary practitioners offer cutting-edge approaches to personal growth and collective wellness.
Experiments
Privacy-preserving check-ins and interactions using zk-powered identity system for all attendees.
Artists merge AI, spatial computing, and brain-computer interfaces to elevate human experiences through art.
Residency
Feÿtopia brings its unique blend of art, tech, and community to Lanna.
Experiments
Experience the future of money: Easy transfers and payments with Daimo.
Experiments
Participate in an innovative Ethereum lottery supporting public goods and social impact.
Experiments
SocialLayer is streamlining community engagement for popup cities with a modular calendar.
Experiments
SimpleFi builds innovative ticketing and financial systems for popup cities using crypto rails.

Residencies & Experiments

Crafting tech that values human connection, using cutting-edge cryptography and zero-knowledge systems.
Apply here
Experiments
Tap, connect, match: Cryptography-powered social networking for meaningful connections.
Experiments
RadicalxChange tests a community currency ∈dges, fostering local economic growth and collaboration.
Experiments
Interdisciplinary practitioners offer cutting-edge approaches to personal growth and collective wellness.
Experiments
Privacy-preserving check-ins and interactions using zk-powered identity system for all attendees.
Artists merge AI, spatial computing, and brain-computer interfaces to elevate human experiences through art.
Residency
Feÿtopia brings its unique blend of art, tech, and community to Lanna.
Experiments
Experience the future of money: Easy transfers and payments with Daimo.
Experiments
Participate in an innovative Ethereum lottery supporting public goods and social impact.
Experiments
SocialLayer is streamlining community engagement for popup cities with a modular calendar.
Experiments
SimpleFi builds innovative ticketing and financial systems for popup cities using crypto rails.

Speakers & Attendees

(Alphabetical)
Aleksandra Smilek
Foresight Institute
Althea Allen
Ethereum
Amarit Charoenphan
Aim Ventures
Amelia Guertin
Soulmates
Anna Alexa
Celo Foundation
Brink Lindsey
Niskanen Center
Balaji Srinivasan
The Network State
Cathy Tie
Locke Bio
David Hoffman
Bankless
Dieter Shirley
Flow
Felix Beer
BlockchainGov
Gubsheep
0xPARC
Janine Leger
Edge City
Jessy Kate Shingler
Open Lunar
John Ho
Alt_Coliving
Juan Benet
Protocol Labs
Justin Drake
Ethereum
Liam Horne
ETH Global
Lou de Kerhuelvez
Foresight Institute
Mai Fujimoto
Intmax
Mark Tyneway
Optimism
Matt Prewitt
RadicalxChange
Michel Bauwens
p2p foundation
Mike Johnson
Symmetry institute
Molly Mackinley
Protocol Labs
Nathalie Kuhn
The Class
Nicholas Hu
4seas
Nick White
Celestia
Pat Khiangthong
Idext
Primavera de Filippi
Harvard CNRS
Puja Ohlhaver
Plurality
Raihan Anwar
FWB
Sandy Peng
Scroll
Sam Chua
Independent
Sid Sanyal
Syndicate
Skylar Weaver
Ethereum Foundation
Songyi Lee
Pagoda
Sophia Dew
Celo
Steve Ellis
Chainlink
Tim Beiko
Summer of Protocols
Timour Kosters
Edge City
Toby Shorin
Other Internet / Care Culture
Tomasz Stanczak
Nethermind
Trent McConaghy
Ocean Protocol
Vaughn McKenzie-Landell
Butter
Venkatesh Rao
Summer of Protocols
Vienna Zero
Pagoda
Vivian Chen
Pagoda
Will Papper
Syndicate
Yoseph Ayele
Borderless Africa
And many more!
Regularly updated as we get closer to the event

Experiments

Edge City is about experimenting with IRL applications of new ideas, tech or otherwise. This is an initial list that will grow. Want to participate? Apply now!

Cursive

Programmable cryptography IRL, driving a ton of delightful experiences for connecting with others and quests around the village.

ZuPass

ZK-powered identity system for all attendees, allowing them to check-in and interact on the ground while preserving their privacy.

Daimo

Seamless money transfers, including paying for meals in the village.

LottoPGF

Permissionless lottery for everyone, while funding public goods in the process!

Social Layer

Lightweight community calendar to enable emergent programming.

Principles

Creation

Emphasis on Building

At Edge City Lanna, we’re focused on building, moving beyond mere consumption of knowledge. The emphasis is on hands-on applications and experiments, with the goal of fostering new technologies, cultures, ideas, and organizations during our month together.

Participation

Participation

At Edge City, we focused on emergence, meaning the experience is co-created by all participants. Everyone contributes something, whether by leading a workshop, organizing an activity, or simply sharing their knowledge and skills. This collective effort creates a vibrant and enriching environment for everyone.

Healthy by Default

Healthy Living as the Norm

Our village promotes health and longevity as a default. This includes organized community workouts, nutritious meals made from local organic ingredients, weekly farmers markets, and partnerships with local restaurants to minimize seed oil use. We aim for all participants to leave healthier than they arrived.

Multigenerational

Building a Multigenerational Community

Our community will include everyone from toddlers to centenarians, fostering an environment where different life stages interact and learn from each other, breaking away from the typical age-segregated settings.

Social Technology

Importance of Social Technology

We value innovation in social technology as much as in hardware and software. This means the norms, values, and practices of living well together as a community. This is critical for us to discover together for a flourishing future.

Themes

Each theme will have planned talks & self-organized sessions throughout the month

Human organization

Evolution of education & parenting • New towns & cities • Collective intelligence • Governance • Culture

Artificial intelligence

Compute & geopolitics • AI & identity • Alignment • Decentralized AI • Practical applications • Art

Real-world crypto

Practical, real-life applications • Zero-Knowledge tech • Protocol research • Scalability

Health, longevity, & bio

Neurotech • Nutritional science & tech • Biohacking • Practical & philosophical aspects of well-being

Hard tech

Geoengineering • Nanotech • Space exploration • Materials science • Transportation • Renewable energy

More info

Make sure to check out our blog for further updates!

We'll be updating the Lanna blog regularly. Check it out here.

What is Edge City Lanna?

Edge City Lanna is a "popup village" for people working at the frontiers of tech, science, and society.

We aim for this to be the healthiest and most productive time of your year — a place to go deep in your work and learn from fellow experts in other fields while incubating novel technology and ways of living.

Read more in our welcome essay on our blog.

It is being organized by Edge City. You can learn more about us here.

Who is Edge City Lanna for?

The village will be filled with high-agency people who are building towards a better future: founders, scientists, urban planners, researchers, engineers, philosophers, storytellers, and beyond. We look for thoughtful people who are brilliant, curious, and kind.

Families with kids are welcome! We endeavor to make all of our events as family friendly as possible.

What is the experience like at Edge City Lanna? 

You can think of Edge City Lanna as a combination of a multigenerational community and a college campus. It will be an incredible month of healthy living, productivity, and deep connection. Here’s how the experience will look concretely:

  • During the week: After a healthy breakfast, you’ll spend the daytime in deep work. We provide infrastructure for you to be productive, whether you need a day of focus, give a workshop in a specific topic area, or run a retreat day for your team. We’re here to create the playground and support logistically with bringing your initiative to life.
  • Each weekend: There will be programs and unconferences, as well as activities and opportunities to meet people, like as salons and group hikes in the surrounding mountains.

We recognize everyone will be working different time zones and as a result, the main co-working hub will be open 24/7.

To get a feel for our past experiences, check out the Edge City gallery.

How do I participate?

Please fill out this application to apply to participate in Edge City Lanna.

What does Lanna mean?

When we asked our local Thai collaborators what we should call our event, they suggested "Lanna." The name refers to the ancient kingdom that once flourished in this region, known for its rich cultural heritage and history.

"Lanna" means "a million rice fields," symbolizing abundance, prosperity, and the interconnectedness of community life.

Do I need to come for the whole time?

It's not required, though we encourage you to stay as long as you can.

Those who come for the whole time will have the most immersive experience, but you'll still have an amazing time if you can only make it for one week!

What is included in the ticket? 

The standard ticket gives access to the below. You can read more detail on our ticketing blog post.


  • All sessions, seminars, events, conferences, hackathons, workshops, and beyond.
  • Access to the daily meals and meal hub (the no. 1 highlight of everyone’s previous pop-up village experiences).
  • Organic, seed oil free, whole foods that are locally sourced where possible.
  • Access to co-working with high-speed internet and coffee.
  • Access to the online social hub and collaborative calendar.
  • Health and Wellness: sauna, cold plunge, meditations & daily workouts.
  • Sunday Dinners at special locations across Chiang Mai.
How much will it cost?

We are not making a profit on this event, and we are a registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization. However creating a memorable experience involves significant costs, and it is important that this gathering is self-sustaining.

To learn about tickets, click here. Tickets cover the costs of running the event, but not accommodation, which you can learn about here.

As an estimate for the whole month, to come for a month the ticket will cost $1,350, and the accommodation will range between $50-$150 per night (of half of that price if you share a room), so you could spend about $2,100 — $5,850 to attend for the full month, depending on your choice of accommodation.

As an estimate for a week, to come for weeks 1, 2, or 3 the ticket will cost $550 (the last week is more expensive), and the accommodation will range between $50-$150 per night (of half of that price if you share a room), so you could spend about $725 — $1,600 to attend for a week, depending on your choice of accommodation.

We offer a lot of builder and scholarship ticket discounts. If cost is a barrier, please apply for a scholarship in your application.

How does accommodation / lodging work? 

You can read more about housing in the dedicated blog post.

As a summary:


  • The default is that you will coordinate your own lodging, and we provide a lot of great options nearby to do so. You can see our list of recommended hotels here.
  • We have some rooms set aside for residencies and volunteers.
What will the programming be like? 

Our programming philosophy has two main design principles: 

  • We focus on emergence instead of centrally planning everything. We will create the minimum necessary structure for this to be an excellent event, and then we'll encourage the attendees to participate, engage, and build awesome things on top of the structure we provide.
  • The fact that the event is 4 weeks long means that you'll have plenty of opportunity to go deep on various topics of your choice, and to meaningfully connect with other attendees.

Our programming will focus on, but not be limited to, areas like: Ethereum, Zero-Knowledge, AI, Hard Tech, Biotech & Longevity, Network Societies, and more.

If you can't make it for the whole time and you aren't sure when to come, the short answer is: come when you can! You'll be certain to have an engaging time.

What are the ticketing Terms & Conditions?

You can read the T&Cs here.