Last Saturday, April 26, something amazing happened in Cartagena. Together with an inspiring group of students, devs, and curious minds, we hosted the first Base Batches IRL workshop in our city and we couldn’t be more proud of what we created together.
We been working on bringing more awareness to Latin America, and Base Batches gave us the perfect platform to do just that. For those unfamiliar, Base Batches is a global initiative by Base designed to onboard and support the next generation of onchain builders. It’s not just about coding, it’s about building a better, more open internet that we all can be part of.
Video recap here
In the days leading up to the main workshop, we hosted a series of introductory sessions on April 24 and 25 at the Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar and the Universidad de Cartagena. These early meetups were key they helped us plant the seeds, connect with students, and demystify what it really means to build onchain. We discussed how blockchain isn’t just about coins or speculation, but about creating tools and platforms to solve real world problems and open access to a global economy.
The main event took place at the Sociedad de Ingenieros y Arquitectos de Bolívar, right in the heart of Cartagena. From 11 AM to 6 PM, builders came together to learn, build, and collaborate.
Fabioanaya.eth kicked things off with an overview of Base, why it matters, and the incredible opportunity we all have to create a global, open economy. We also walked participants through minting their Base names, which was a fun and symbolic way to say, “You belong here. You’re now part of the onchain world.”
Then came jacob, who brought the technical magic. He introduced everyone to Solidity, explained how smart contracts work, and showed how to start building apps on Base.
From Inspiration to Creation After we covered the basics, we presented the five key categories from the Base Batches program:
AI: Building onchain agents with tools like AgentKit
Stablecoins: Practical use cases like remittances, payments, and savings
Mini-apps: Lightweight apps using MiniKit that integrate with Base’s social layer
Consumer apps: Games, media, anything that reaches everyday users
Showcase: Projects that already exist but want to grow with Base
Watching the energy shift as people started forming teams was incredible. Some came solo, others with friends, but everyone found a way to connect. We made space for real time networking so that builders could meet each other, find shared interests, and start collaborating on the spot.
One of the most rewarding parts for me was seeing a student from Universidad de Cartagena, who had never coded before, pitch a mini-app idea for crowdfunding community projects. That’s the kind of story that keeps me going.
Before we wrapped, every team had the chance to pitch their ideas in public. We believe in "building in public" because it invites feedback, builds confidence, and strengthens community. Whether someone had a polished pitch or just an early sketch, the crowd was supportive and curious. That’s what this is all about.
This Base Batches workshop was more than an IRL event, it was a signal. A signal that Cartagena is ready to build, and that we can be an important part of the global onchain movement.
Special shoutout to Cartagena Onchain, a local initiative that’s pushing to turn our city into a global crypto hub. Their support made all the difference in creating an environment where people felt included and empowered.
The projects we started here in Cartagena are now moving forward. Teams will continue working on their ideas, submitting to the Base Batches buildathon, and joining a global network of builders who believe in the power of open technology.
If you're reading this and feeling the FOMO don’t worry. Base Batches is just getting started. You can learn more, register for future events, and even submit your own project at basebatches.xyz
Let’s Keep Building, it means everything to us to help create opportunities that empower local talent and connect us to the world. If this event taught us one thing, it’s that we don’t need to wait for permission to build the future, we can start now, together, onchain.
👉 Stay tuned for more workshops, meetups, and stories from the region. And if you’re a builder, designer, dreamer or just an onchain curious get in touch. There’s a place for you here.
— Rhino | @0xrhino.base.eth
BUILDER RESOURCES
0xb31F...8E99
