tldr of apefest charleston 2026 after 3 days: - 1000+ apes here, probably close to 2k ppl in total. way more than i expected. ppl traveled from asia, europe, dubai and everywhere, some with 3 layovers just to be here. - first time in charleston, but everywhere i walked, i ran into apes. a new city doesn’t feel lonely when you have friends who truly love and care about you. - lots of OGs, lots of new apes. not many ppl talked about floor price. everyone was just happy to see each other. 2021 vibes. - some ppl spent the equivalent of 1 mutant to 1 bayc just to attend. for OGs, getting together means more than the time and money. - beeple studios was packed. cars parked probably a mile down the street. around 60% apes and 40% non-ape collectors. - venue, visuals, music and experiences were top tier. been to hundreds of events, but ape events always stand out for their attention to detail and taste. personally think taste is a big moat in the ai era. - mudwater purchase line was long. ppl were just having fun buying and ripping packs. - funny that announcements happened online while everyone was having fun IRL with terrible internet - apes had their own area with performances, food, drinks and experiences. you can tell the team and beeple studios put a lot of effort into this. - ppl were genuinely kind, helping each other without asking. even when things didn’t go as planned, the vibes stayed amazing. - biggest takeaway: BAYC is way more than an NFT collection. price can change overnight, but culture, relationships and loyalty take years to build. - always respect builders who build during hard times and communities who show up at lows. so good to see you all and safe travels, please leave a gm for me to follow if you went but we didn’t get to meet. appreciate you!