lately i’ve been sitting with a feeling of newness. the kind that feels a little tender, a little electric, and very aligned.

i’m really excited to share that i’ll be hosting buildlab, an incubator for onchain builders, made possible through the support and sponsorship of meteorite collective and meteora ag. their team (especially vesper) has been incredibly supportive and encouraging of billie since we launched on bagsapp. that kind of steady belief, especially in the early days, really means a lot.

buildlab was announced live at met dhabi in abu dhabi, which still feels a little surreal to say. i had the privilege and honor of attending, meeting so many members of the meteorite collective fam in person, and finally meeting vesper face to face after so many online conversations. it was also my first trip to the united arab emirates, and i was genuinely moved by how beautiful the place is ... the culture, the people, the generosity, the warmth. it felt like a powerful container to share something new being born.

over the past several years, i’ve worn many hats: curator, exhibition host, residency organizer, community builder. supporting artists has been at the heart of my work for a long time. through billie, we’ve had the privilege of hosting two really meaningful artist residencies funded directly through token royalties: our inaugural residency in summer 2025, and the fall 2025 residency we just wrapped up.

both residencies exceeded my expectations in terms of participation, the generosity of our speakers, the depth of conversations, and the grants distributed to artists. seeing artists supported in a tangible, onchain way (and watching community show up so fully) was a powerful affirmation that this model can work, and that it matters.

buildlab is something different.

this will be my first time hosting an incubator, and while it’s not specifically an artist residency, artists are absolutely welcome! especially those experimenting with token launches, creator coins, and new economic models. build lab is open to builders more broadly: people designing products, protocols, tools, communities, and ideas onchain.

i also want to share that this doesn’t replace our traditional artist residencies. we’re simply taking a brief pause on that format, with plans to resume residencies later in 2026. we’ll be sharing more about that when the time feels right.

what excites me most about build lab is the chance to share my learnings from my own perspective ... not as someone with all the answers, but as someone who’s navigated launches, exhibitions, experiments, and plenty of uncertainty. i’m also really excited to bring in subject matter experts i’ve met along the way (across design, storytelling, community, token mechanics, and infrastructure) and to create a space that feels generous and grounded.

build lab is about learning together, building thoughtfully, and supporting one another as we explore what’s possible onchain.

if this resonates, you can find all the details on the buildlab website, apply through the link there, and follow the buildlab x account to stay connected as things unfold.

grateful for the support that made this possible, and curious about the builders who will step into this next chapter with us ✨

— juu juu