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👋 Welcome, PizzaDAO Global Pizza Partier!
We’re glad you made it here. This page tells the story of how PizzaDAO is using web3 tools, memes, and mozzarella to fund pizzerias and build joyful, decentralized public goods.Curious about the bigger picture? Start with our Introduction to Ethereum Localism to explore how communities around the world are coordinating locally with Ethereum. Then browse our Knowledge Garden Library for more field reports, guides, and cultural experiments.
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By Snax x Ethereum Localism
Location: Global
Started: February 2021
Current Status: Active
Website/Social:
PizzaDAO emerged during the early pandemic, when small businesses in Philadelphia were struggling and mutual aid efforts were gaining urgency. Snax (@snack_man), a longtime community builder and early participant in the crypto-art world, asked: How can communities own their local small businesses?
At the same time, a vibrant NFT community on Clubhouse was energized by the idea of throwing a decentralized global pizza party for Bitcoin Pizza Day—the anniversary of Laszlo Hanyecz’s legendary 10,000 BTC pizza purchase—to support independent pizzerias and their communities. The convergence of memes, mutual aid, and crypto culture catalyzed PizzaDAO’s formation.
Founding Goal: Bring small businesses—especially pizzerias—onchain in ways that allow for community ownership, transparent funding, and mutual support.
PizzaDAO is a global cooperative experiment that uses blockchain tools to throw pizza parties and fund independent pizzerias. Its flagship event is the Global Pizza Party, held every May 22. In 2024, the event activated over 220 cities in 80+ countries, serving pizza to more than 15,000 people.
PizzaDAO is a decentralized cultural vehicle: open-source, values-driven, and powered by joy, food, and community lore.
The DAO:
- Funds pizza for grassroots Ethereum and web3 meetups around the world
- Onboards small businesses into crypto infrastructure using friendly tools and guidance
- Partners with aligned orgs like Gitcoin, GreenPill, and NFT projects
- Uses NFTs (like the 314-artist Rare Pizzas collection) to bootstrap and sustain its treasury
Blending decentralized funding and coordination with IRL celebration—PizzaDAO is a live demo of what Ethereum Localism can look like at scale.
Outcomes & Impact
- $1M+ spent on pizza since 2021
- Over 400 local relationships with pizzerias and organizers
- 15,000+ people fed in a single day during Bitcoin Pizza Day 2024
- DAO-first funding model using NFTs, grants, and volunteer effort
- Cultural impact: PizzaDAO serves as a replicable meme-vehicle for web3 onboarding, literacy, and localism
Community Practice
PizzaDAO’s culture is highly participatory and intentionally fun! Rigid structures are avoided in favor of permeable boundaries and living documentation.
- Onboarding with personality: New members are asked their favorite topping + mafia movie to generate their “pizza mafia name” (e.g., Al Pachicken or Pepperoni Corleone).
- Open and async coordination: Workstreams and meeting agendas are tracked in public spreadsheets and managed through crew.pizzadao.xyz, an impressive Google sheets workspace.
- Play and LARPing: Community members are encouraged to step into playful roles and take initiative without gatekeeping.
- Global-local rhythm: The community maintains an international presence while supporting highly local activations. PizzaDAO’s community operates across Twitter Spaces, Discord, Telegram, and IRL events, embracing both synchronous and asynchronous engagement.
- Advocate cultivation: Organizers who champion the mission in their own regions are empowered to host events and tap DAO support.
Guiding Values:
- “Yes and” improvisational thinking
- Permissionless contribution
- Joyful experimentation
- Radical hospitality
- Trust through transparency
Tools & Infrastructure
- Coordination Platforms: Discord, Telegram, Twitter Spaces
- Governance & Finance: Safe multisig, Zapper, Octant, Collab.Land
- Documentation & Organization: crew.pizzadao.xyz, manual.pizzadao.xyz
- NFTs & Access: POAP, Rare Pizzas NFT offers access to voting, private channels, and funding tools
- Fiat Access: Mercury banking enables pizza purchases in local currencies
Lessons & Challenges
Challenges faced:
- Many pizzerias are unfamiliar with or understandably wary of crypto—PizzaDAO continually adapts language, tools, and messaging to build trust and educate.
- DAO coordination at global scale required flexible tools and constant iteration of onboarding.
- Differentiating between “audience” and “community” meant shifting focus from followers to collaborators.
Resolutions and Lessons:
- Lead with value, not jargon.
- Use joyful rituals (nicknames, parties) to build trust before introducing tools.
- Celebrate and support community organizers who bring new people in.
- Open documentation lowers the barrier to participation.
Repeatable Tactics
“Put any word in front of DAO and build for the Schelling point of what a DAO for that word would be. Go for it!”
- Use a familiar, joyful meme (pizza!) to build cross-cultural bridges
- Activate annual rituals to provide rhythm and cohesion
- Combine IRL and URL tools to keep communities informed and connected
- Use NFTs for collective fundraising and community signaling
- Empower regional leads and decentralize logistical support
Looking Forward
PizzaDAO’s next big leap is acquiring its first community-owned pizzeria—transitioning from event support to long-term, DAO-governed ownership of local infrastructure. Cowabunga! 🍕😎
As PizzaDAO evolves, it aims to:
- Strengthen regional partnerships
- Expand onboarding materials for non-crypto-native communities
- Serve as a template for DAO-powered local ownership in other industries
Call to Act!
Bring PizzaDAO to your town! Host a local pizza party, onboard your favorite pizzeria, and join the decentralized celebration.
🍕 Learn more and get involved at globalpizza.party and on Discord
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This Case Study is part of the ethereumlocalism.xyz Knowledge Garden — a growing collection of real-world experiments, reflections, and tools for grounding coordination in place. Want to share your story or contribute an update? Get in touch →