My friend Chaofan Shou invited people to eat fried rice he would make himself. With the Bitcoin 2025 conference bringing people working on Bitcoin and its wider ecosystem to Las Vegas, we helped turn that invitation into the first Fried Rice DAO gathering. We expected 100 to 150 guests. More than 500 came over the course of the event.
Chaofan is a security researcher and a good friend. I appreciate the generosity in his invitation: cooking for people means giving them your time as well as a place at the table. It is a lovely way to welcome friends, including people you have yet to meet.
DAO is short for decentralized autonomous organization, a term often used for communities that organize together online. Fried Rice DAO gave our community a name and an occasion to meet in person, with Chaofan’s invitation at its center.
Our teams at Nubit, Solayer, and Fuzzland helped put the dinner together, alongside the chefs. I am grateful to the people who prepared the food, made room at the tables, and welcomed our guests.
I want to keep these photographs because friendship deserves a place alongside the work I usually write about. Research gives us plenty to discuss, and building companies gives us reasons to stay in touch. Sharing a meal lets us spend time together simply because we enjoy one another’s company. I am grateful to Chaofan, everyone who helped host, and everyone who accepted the invitation.