Questions
answered.

IslandDAO is a community of Solana builders that runs events — month-long retreats, focused weeks, and hackathons — in some of the world's most inspiring places. We bring together developers, designers, business developers, and creators to work, build, and connect in person. The DAO is governed on-chain by its members through Realms.

Most conferences are 2-3 days of talks you mostly forget. IslandDAO events are 4–28 days of being in the same space as the people you want to work with. You share meals, co-work all day, hack at night, and present at demo day. The depth of connection and output is an order of magnitude different.

Anyone serious about building in the Solana ecosystem. Developers, designers, business developers, content creators, community builders — if you're shipping something on Solana (or want to be), there's a place for you here.

Applications open a few months before each event — they're announced on @IslandDAO on X and in the Discord, so that's the best way to stay informed. Entry is free; you don't need a PERKS NFT to apply, though holding one unlocks extra perks at the event.

The wallet you'll bring to the event — this matters. Your registration, ticket, and check-in are all tied on-chain to the wallet you sign up with. If you turn up with a different wallet, you won't be able to check in. Register with the wallet on the phone you'll actually be carrying at the event.

It depends on the event. Our flagship retreats run for 28 days — long enough to get deep work done and build real trust with people. We also run shorter, focused events — like the upcoming IslandDAO Brazil — structured around a hackathon and demo day. Both formats are worth attending.

Yes. Events have a participation fee that covers your accommodation, co-working space, and event programming (workshops, hackathon, demo day). Pricing is released with each event's application. Some attendees have historically received grants or sponsorships — worth asking in the Discord.

The days are co-working time — show up to a beautiful space, work on your project, get unstuck with help from people around you. There are structured workshops and talks most days. The hackathon runs across the week with a live demo day at the end. Evenings are social — dinners, outings, side conversations that turn into collabs.

The IslandDAO PERKS collection is 12 animal-themed NFTs (Dragon, Tiger, Ox, Rabbit, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Inu, Pig, Mouse), each with a unique perk at events. Entry to IslandDAO events is free — a PERKS NFT isn't required to attend, but holding one unlocks special extras like bonus merch and holders-only side events. They're available on Magic Eden.

$ISLAND is the IslandDAO governance token. Holders can vote on community proposals through our on-chain system powered by Realms. It's not a trading vehicle — it's a decision-making tool. How treasury funds are spent, where future events are held, what partnerships we pursue — members decide.

You can follow along, engage in Discord, attend community calls, and come to events without any tokens — entry is free. A PERKS NFT unlocks extra perks at events, and $ISLAND tokens let you vote on governance.

Join the Discord — there are ongoing conversations, governance discussions, and community calls that don't require you to be on location. We're also building out our regional chapter model, so if you want to run IslandDAO-style events in your city, that's a path.

Potentially yes. We're actively looking to support local community leaders who want to run IslandDAO events in their region. It's early days for this programme, but reach out in the Discord and tell us about your city and your community.

X at @IslandDAO for announcements. Discord for community conversations and governance. Telegram for real-time updates. Links are in the footer.