Moon Ryu

This is how 2025 led me to build with @PudgyPenguins in Asia. Looking back at 2025, I didn’t really know where I was heading. I knew I wasn’t fully satisfied with where I was, even though I was in a C-level role, leading a large team and doing work I had been good at for years. There was a quiet sense that something was missing. NFTs had always mattered to me. I come from an art background, and collecting, culture, and ownership have always shaped how I see the world. What drew me in beyond the art was the way people gathered, how events were run, how communities treated one another, and how ownership felt non transactional. Earlier this year, life touched me in a small but meaningful way. I offered a random kindness for someone at an event who turned out to be one of the main sponsors of @pudgypenguins in Hong Kong, and she invited me to my very first Pudgy experience. That was where I met @AaronTeng and @FoxyPenguin. They hosted us with such an unparalleled standard, you could tell how much they cared about the community, and how much further they were willing to go. That experience stayed with me, and there's no going back. I picked up my very first @LilPudgys immediately, followed my heart instead of my head, revived my X after years of barely using it, and started showing up consistently. I volunteered, joined spaces for the first time, and leaned into what I knew best by hosting events (including hosting the most community-led Pudgy events in a single conference week), represented Pudgy Malaysia on panels, and eventually helped build a working treasury that allowed @pudgymalaysia to operate sustainably. From there, the path opened further, eventually leading to the chance to help build across Asia with Igloo APAC. I’m sharing this for anyone who feels steady in what they’re good at, but quietly pulled toward something else. If you feel that pull, listen to it. Show up fully, put in the work, and don’t be afraid to let go of what’s comfortable. I hope 2026 brings you closer to what you want to build, and who you want to become. Just follow your heart.