Their rules.

By Andrés Peña Mellado

For Web3 communities used to talking and organizing online, having a physical space is proof that the project continues to grow.

In Web3, people talk about community all the time. For most projects, that word means a Discord server, an account with many followers, or a group of people who hold a token.

Chile’s crypto community has known one another that way for years: through WhatsApp, Discord, and occasional events. But a physical place changes that dynamic. With this in mind, Tellus Cooperative opened its Blockchain Hub in early September at Triana 861, Santiago.

The gathering did more than fill the space: it marked the beginning of a new stage for the cooperative. “The Tellus Hub was created to connect community, developers, ideas, and new opportunities,” said Marcos Vinicio Reyes, a member of Tellus’s Marketing Bounty.

The space is supported by the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) and led by Tellus’s Stellar Barrio initiative. “Santiago gains a new meeting point for those of us building in blockchain,” Reyes concluded.

Being together in person for a borderless technology

There is a paradox in the development of decentralized networks. Blockchain technology was designed to coordinate value globally without intermediaries, but trust between people is still built face to face. The strongest agreements and real partnerships are seldom born in a chat thread; they tend to emerge around a shared worktable or over coffee.

Having an address in Providencia does not contradict the Web3 philosophy. On the contrary, it gives it an anchor. Digital networks scale code and algorithms, while physical spaces scale human collaboration.

The cooperative’s hub

The fact that Tellus is a cooperative matters more than it may seem. Everything that emerges in the space—the projects, ideas, and partnerships—belongs to the community itself.

In an industry almost always dominated by financial speculation and corporate structures, where venture capital seeks quick returns, the cooperative model offers a horizontal alternative. If blockchain technology seeks to decentralize software and finance, the cooperative’s goal is to decentralize decision-making and the distribution of value.

“The Blockchain Hub is a place to promote ideas; it doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to code, together we can create new and innovative things,” explains Pau Koh, vice president of Tellus Cooperative.

That idea of collaboration was clear at the opening. Flap, a token protocol that runs on Ethereum networks and is independent of Stellar and Tellus, gave the talk. Bringing in another ecosystem on the first day makes the approach clear: the Hub does not exist to cheer for one blockchain, but to help the community develop.

Alex Hernández, leader of Stellar Academy in Chile, put it in broader terms. To him, the technology “goes far beyond the financial system.” That is where he sees the cooperative’s contribution: helping more people in Chile learn about blockchain and how to build.

Within this dynamic, tools such as Stellar Passport make a great deal of sense. Developed by Tellus Cooperative, this credentialing system records who participates, collaborates, and ships projects. Its “Proof you showed up. Proof you shipped” approach replaces inflated metrics with a transparent record of real contributions, without turning that reputation into a financial asset.

An open door at Triana 861

Anyone can come by and be part of the Blockchain Hub. The rules of the space are still being written, so this is a good time to visit and join the family forming in Santiago.

If you are interested in building on Stellar, the foundation has published tools for working with AI agents on Soroban, its smart-contract platform. If you want support from a community and to work collaboratively with other builders, the Blockchain Hub is the best place to be.