Nesin Matematik Köyü (Source: nesinkoyleri.org)
Among the serene mountains of Western Turkey, the Nesin Math Village offered us a space for learning and collaborating after Devconnect 2023. It’s a place built for thinking — 13.5 acres, 7.5 of which are olive groves — nestled just outside the village of Şirince in the Selçuk district of Izmir. The houses are simple: stone, straw, and clay, scattered among greenery and cats. It’s a place that teaches you how to be still and curious at the same time.
It was the perfect setting for 0xVillage: a gathering that wanted to break away from the typical crypto conference circuit. No booths, no badge scans, no over-polished panels. Just people, math, olive oil, and shared curiosity.
0xVillage was meant to be a non-instrumentalized space. A place where people don’t feel like resources or stepping stones. Most crypto conferences say they want to reimagine the future but often end up reproducing the same power dynamics and extractive culture. We wanted something different: an unconference where people brought their full selves, not their pitch decks.
Imagine a meetup where the stage is a stone house, the audience is a mix of students and cryptographers, and conversations are fueled by shared meals and spontaneous chalkboard sessions.
The lineup was a mix of academic depth and casual exploration:
We also dove into group theory for cryptography, proof systems, and new primitives. The format was fluid. Someone would start explaining something on a chalkboard, and before you knew it, a group of people would gather around and stay for hours.
I have organized 100+ events and a half-million-dollar fundraise. I partnered with Ethereum, Arbitrum, Solana, Avalanche, NEAR, Algorand, Protocol Labs, Stellar, and more. It taught me one thing: the best communities aren't built by broadcasting. They're built by bridge building.
0xVillage is my proudest accomplishment. It was both the hardest and easiest thing I ever did. Hardest because it took a lot of research, planning, operations, etc but easiest because once the heavy lifting was done, the community became self-sustaining and I got to take a step back and let it grow.
It wasn't about positioning ourselves as experts lecturing beginners. It was about creating a space where everyone, from students to cryptographers, could help each other cross gaps in understanding. People do not remember what you do for them. They remember how you make them feel. When you help someone learn ZK proofs or debug a smart contract, they don't just remember the solution. They remember who helped them when they needed it.
That memory becomes a bridge. And bridges compound.
0xVillagers explored Western Turkey together — day trips to Ephesus and the Temple of Artemis, soaking in a deep sense of history. We had traditions like 4PM Cake Time and meetups at "the Abacus" that slowly became part of our shared routine.
