Become a Bali Crypto Digital Nomad like me: Here’s how

If you rock up to most workplaces in a bikini, thong or singlet, HR will probably give you a tap on the shoulder. But here in Bali, such casual clothing is common in the communal area of ​​the tribe in Canggu.

It's a bright sunny day and I jump on the back of a Gojek moped – think Uber but on motorcycles – right at the entrance to the tribe. I feel overdressed in socks and shoes.

The pool and bar are buzzing, and people seem happy to be “working” while casually walking around drinking from coconuts.

Not far away, a pool table is hosting an intense game involving four cocky British kids – whose work-life balance in favor of “life” seems to be firmly in disarray.

The lifestyle of Crypto digital nomads in Bali

Adam Saville-Brown, general manager of global cryptocurrency tax software Coinly, is a regular at Tribal. British-born Australian resident Canggu – a resort village on the south coast of Bali – is one of the most popular places in the world for digital nomads, and the tribe has to go to the local network of crypto workers.

“I've met a lot of people in the crypto community here at Tribal. Project leaders and developers with credible projects,” Saville-Brown told the magazine.

“Tribe is a strong base in Canggu and it's good to meet like-minded people, it feels like a place to generate ideas,” he says.

However, general manager of the crypto education and analysis platform Ben Simpson – an Australian who previously worked with Kangoo – cautions that not every crypto out there is strictly on the digital eternal stage.

“I met a friend of mine who didn't really know what he was doing, and I looked at this guy briefly, and he was basically running pumps and dumpsters,” Simpson told Simpson magazine.

Saville-Brown added: “You meet a stranger who doesn't know who they are and who they are.

Gosa is one of the many cooperative spaces in Canggu. Digital nomads often switch between other options, including Zine Cafe, WorkBali, Coworking Dojo Bali, and Outsourcer Canggu.

Cointelegraph reporter based in Bali

Since early 2024, I've been alternating between living as a digital nomad in Bali and Australia. I find it a great place to work for Cointelegraph and join people who share my passion for innovative industries like crypto and artificial intelligence (AI).

I often meet other people who work in crypto and I have made friends with many of them. Now I find myself talking about crypto both at work and in my spare time—an absolute nightmare to my traditional finance friends.

The island is a great place for fitness inspiration – everyone seems to have a six pack here.

After work, I usually squeeze in some cardio by hitting up the local F45 gym, playing tennis with friends, or going for a run on the beach before dinner.

Working remotely in Bali

Bali is one of 17,508 islands in Indonesia – the world's fourth most populous country with a population of about 279.5 million, according to Worldometer data.

The population of Bali is about 4.37 million, according to the latest data.

In the year Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2021, Canggu has overtaken previous favorite areas such as Kuta and Seminyak to isolate remote workers.

You can tell the amount of construction on the road and the herd of mopeds. Locals and long-time nomads whisper that Uluwatu – 36km from Canggu and about an hour's drive – could eventually become the next hot spot for nomads.

“Bali has a great mix of people. Some of the crypto people here love the ethics and values, others use it as a store of value when they travel around the world, and then there are people who do startups and projects in the space,” a contributor to crypto analytics firm Cryptorated told the magazine. .

Cost of living as a digital nomad in Bali

According to Numbeo, the cost of living in Bali is approximately 61.5% lower than in the United States.

You can live comfortably in Bali on $10 to $20 a day. It's possible to spend as little as $5, but your stomach might not be happy about it.

Local Waring is a popular cheap food option among digital nomads, where good meals can cost around $3.

When you land at Bali International Airport in Denpasar, expect a one-hour drive to Canggu on a good travel day.

For busy times, rate in two hours. Like Christmas, there are no highways here, so expect congestion and slow speeds.

Entering the crypto digital nomad lifestyle requires self-discipline, and many, many party challenges lie ahead. Simpson learned this through his experience here.

“It's hard to stay motivated when everyone else is hitting the beach clubs at three o'clock,” laughs Simpson.

Canggu is home to the Finnish Beach Club, the world's largest beach club. With three beachfront infinity pools and nine bars (including two poolside bars), the location is stunning.

Be prepared to pay standard US prices for drinks and food rather than local prices.

Saville-Brown agrees, “Bali is a bit of your own adventure,” where the party lifestyle is just as easy to fit into a healthy lifestyle.

“You can just as easily run into a yoga class and lifestyle as a party lifestyle.”

“There is temptation, everyone is telling you to come to this party, come to this place,” he added.

“The damage can be very transactional and it's very temporary,” says Simpson.

Canggu is a tribal affiliate

There is no specific entrance fee to work in the tribe, but you are expected to spend at least 200,000 Indonesian rupiah per day to stay around and use the facilities, which is roughly $15.

I ordered a dragon fruit smoothie bowl and a flat white, which still didn't cover my low cost. I heard someone say, “I'm bullied at Solana this year, man,” in a strong Spanish accent, cigarette in hand, and I started talking to him.

He wants to remain anonymous by working in crypto. I noticed the shiny Rolex watch. However, street vendors in Bali sell replica Rolexes for less than a cup of coffee, so this isn't necessarily a dynamic here.

“The most successful crypto people have always stayed under the radar,” Tobacco said. Anonymity is a big issue here for many crypto-digital nomads.

Diana, the founder of Bitcoin Indonesia, who spoke on condition of anonymity by using her first name, said that in the Bali Bitcoin community, it is common for people to identify themselves with their X account.

It's also common to ask attendees at her Bitcoin Indonesia events to put Bitcoin stickers on their faces in photos for privacy.

A CryptoRated research contributor told the magazine that anonymity gives him the confidence to share his thoughts freely.

“Being an anon gives you the freedom to express yourself about a variety of topics, I really enjoy it.”

Originally from Mallorca, Spain is no stranger to island life. “He chose to settle in Bali because he had yet to find a place that offered more freedom than Bali.

He splits his time between Tribe and another workplace, Bwork, as the event encourages him to be close to people who want to “focus deeply on their work.”

“It's a great way to not only make friends, but also make connections and connections that help build the business,” says the CryptoRated contributor.

If you're not the networking type, just wear some crypto-branded gear, says Diana.

“I mostly wear Bitcoin t-shirts, and then people always ask me, ‘Are you into Bitcoin? Then we'll meet,'” she says.

A network for crypto digital nomads in Bali

Simpson points out that co-working spaces aren't for everyone, as he's learned while trying to field multiple calls for Collective Shift.

“Workplaces are good if you want to code or do e-commerce or whatever, if you want to be around other people,” he says, while jobs that require constant phone calls are more challenging. Crowded co-working spaces.

Are you doing sales or whatever, where we have to talk to people. It can be very difficult in co-working spaces, so I suggest you get a better Airbnb and have a desk or something where you live and make those calls.

When he wasn't on call and wanted out of Airbnb, he found it easier to “call in” to work from the cafes than from the workplaces.

Canggu-based crypto consultant Dominique Frey is another person who likes the Balinese lifestyle but doesn't venture into the workplace.

“I walked in and there were about seven tables, each with a laptop in front of them and headphones over their heads. There was noise from the street and other things and I couldn't understand it again. Maybe I'm too old,” Frey told the magazine.

Frey works instead from a rented three-bedroom villa, which has a pool and a balcony with a great view of the rice fields.

Frey brought his wife and two young children to the island from Switzerland to run his own crypto consulting business remotely.

Most of his customers come from word of mouth in Bali, as well as parents from an international school whose children attend Bali, which often starts as a casual chin-wag before turning into a conversation.

He onboards investors to crypto, charging $2,000 for a sit-down meeting and unlimited hours throughout the day to set up some crypto exchanges, perform the KYC process and, if time permits, help with some self-sustaining wallets. “It depends on how tech savvy the person is,” Dominic says.

Ciaran Lyon

Ciaran Lyons is an Australian crypto journalist. He is also a freelance comedian and has been a radio and TV presenter on Triple J, SBS and The Project.