One of the first modern coworking spaces, C-Base in Berlin, was launched 30 years ago by a group of computer engineers as a “hacker space” in which to share their tech and techniques. Similarly, many we first encountered in our anthropological research into the emerging world of digital nomadism in the mid-2010s were hackers and computer coders.
Nearly a decade later, we returned to Chiang Mai to see what had happened to these pioneers of the borderless, desk-free life. We wondered if they had been put off by the throngs of travellers who have followed in their sandal-clad footsteps, attracted by glamorous – if often inaccurate – images of the digital nomad lifestyle.
One such nomad hotspot is Yellow Coworking, launched in 2020 as a blockchain-oriented, collaborative escape zone from the COVID pandemic. The later stages of the pandemic were an interesting time to be in Chiang Mai. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine was followed by mass layoffs in Silicon Valley, when Twitter, Meta, Coinbase and Microsoft all made significant cuts.
Yellow Coworking saw an influx of former Silicon Valley workers, Russian and Ukrainian coders, and crypto enthusiasts. “Some ex-Silicon Valley employees are here playing around with startups,” one staff member explained. “It makes sense for them to come here if they are trying to create an MVP.” With its lower costs, Chiang Mai “gives them a longer runway”.
People walking into Yellow’s modernist, European-style building simply raise their hands to sign in via biometric fingerprint scanners. Many are coders or IT specialists in their 20s, taking advantage of fast broadband and (mostly western) passports to disconnect their lives from any particular location. They view technology and code as a global language, with no need to stay rooted to a single country.
Vitalik Buterin, creator of Ethereum – the decentralised blockchain behind the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency – was often a focus of discussion at Yellow’s meet-ups. Buterin has identified as a digital nomad for much of the past decade, claiming to live out of a 40-litre backpack. Like many crypto enthusiasts, he sees this borderless lifestyle as ideologically coherent.
In Chiang Mai, cryptocurrency usage has spread beyond nomads. During one meet-up in a local bar, the owner took payment for shots of Thai rum in bitcoin, talking about crypto as part of her financial future. Among the western “crypto nomads” present were aspiring founders launching new coins, alongside others who had lost fortunes and now lived in the city because of its relatively low cost of living.
For every success story, there were tales of loss and potential scams. Some projects were hard to verify, while others focused on improving blockchain security or selling courses on crypto investing.
Digital nomads are also becoming a valuable asset for states. As predicted in 1997, governments are now competing to attract mobile, high-skilled workers. Digital nomad visas in countries such as Estonia, Spain and Portugal target remote professionals, often offering family relocation and pathways to residency.
The Conversation
In Chiang Mai, cryptocurrency usage has spread beyond nomads. During one meet-up in a local bar, the owner took payment for shots of Thai rum in bitcoin, talking about crypto as part of her financial future. Among the western “crypto nomads” present were aspiring founders launching new coins, alongside others who had lost fortunes and now lived in the city because of its relatively low cost of living.
For every success story, there were tales of loss and potential scams. Some projects were hard to verify, while others focused on improving blockchain security or selling courses on crypto investing.
Digital nomads are also becoming a valuable asset for states. As predicted in 1997, governments are now competing to attract mobile, high-skilled workers. Digital nomad visas in countries such as Estonia, Spain and Portugal target remote professionals, often offering family relocation and pathways to residency.
The Conversation