Web3 Wednesday Mini Event Pre-Tourney Space 🔋 by Mad Banana Union

Web3PokerClub avatar
Web3 Poker Club
@Web3PokerClubNov 19, 2025

The Spaces featured Web3 Poker’s Wednesday session sponsored by Mad Banana Union (MBU), with KP hosting and Pamela managing prizes and rules. Monkey Mike introduced MBU’s origin: a 2021 rug pull followed by a community takeover of the contract and infrastructure, evolving into a DAO-driven, playful yet serious “Madlands” ecosystem. He outlined governance via a daily banana token auction (Nouns-style) on Base, a 0.5 ETH treasury, and open proposal rights for token holders, along with sub-assets like 4/20 blunts and joints that qualify proposals for the Mad Banana Canvas. Harley detailed a newly revamped Discord and plans for tutorials, videos, and clearer onboarding. Pamela shared today’s prize structure (MBU NFTs for top 5; banana DAO tokens for top 3; MAD marketplace tokens, plus partner NFTs) and stressed compliance: join sponsor Discord by Friday, don’t sit out, and heed yellow/red card penalties. Levy recapped the Zebu Live summit in London, highlighting the Ronin booth, Onchain Brits’ event strategy, Avalanche sponsorships, and the outsized value of IRL networking for collaborations and growth. The session closed with poker reminders and MBU’s “Hotel California” tagline for the Madlands.

Web Poker Club Twitter Spaces – Mad Banana Union Sponsor Session Summary

Participants and Roles

  • KP: Host (Chicago area); moderates the space and transitions to poker.
  • Pamela: Co-host; manages rules, prize list, and enforcement; posts links and instructions.
  • Monkey Mike: Mad Banana Union (MBU) founder/refounder/steward; primary guest and sponsor representative.
  • Harley (Harley Queen): MBU team/community ops; Discord revamp and comms; supports delivery and marketplace ops.
  • Levy (On Chain Brits / Blockchain Banta): Event organizer and host; shares Zebu Live (London) debrief and networking insights.

Context and Flow

  • Technical hiccups at start (speaker/listener toggling); light banter (including jokes about not inviting Elon).
  • Midwest weather small talk; cozy winter-in-house vibe.
  • Space is the Wednesday edition leading into Web Poker Club; poker starts shortly after the Space.

Mad Banana Union (MBU) – Origin, Mission, and Model

  • Origin story:
    • Rugged in September 2021. Within three months, the community organized a takeover—securing the contract, servers, and infrastructure.
    • The original founder was persuaded to return control, valuing the community over the funds taken.
  • Identity and ethos:
    • MBU operates as both a union and a DAO, embracing chaos, fun, and “wacky” creativity while addressing serious organizational needs.
    • Strong IP with a playful “monkey/banana” theme; goal to become a historical, global community organization.
    • Philosophy: “Never go into business for money… go into business for love.”
  • Build approach and constraints:
    • Bootstrapped due to funding loss from the rug; extensive experimentation across dev, social, and on-chain prototypes.
    • Focus has evolved toward consistent, company-like scaling rather than chasing hype cycles.
    • Engagement across the NFT space is down broadly; MBU aims to refocus the DAO/community on shipping and steady progress.
  • Notable line:
    • Monkey Mike: “The Madlands is like Hotel California. You can check in, but you can never leave.”

Governance and Tokens

  • DAO token (Melting Banana / MBU DAO token):
    • Mechanism: Nouns-style daily auction on Base; only one token can be minted per day (if there’s a bid). Auction runs for 24 hours.
    • Access: Links available in MBU Discord; MBU is also building its own UI/front-end.
    • Treasury and voting: Currently ~0.5 ETH in treasury. Each token equates to one vote on on-chain proposals covering treasury use, contract parameters, and operations. Any token holder can submit proposals (money-related or not). ~112 members; seeking a new DAO leader.
  • Sub-governance assets (Cannabis faction):
    • MBU “blunts” and “joints” were free mints on April 20 (24-hour window). Final supply figures landed at 420 blunts and 690 joints.
    • Function: Sub-faction within the DAO; asset holders can propose initiatives specific to cannabis-related verticals (e.g., packaging partnerships or branding such as banana-themed strains). These enable “vote with your dollars/mind” resource allocation discussions.
  • MAD ecosystem token (Discord marketplace):
    • Internal currency used in the MBU Discord “Madland” marketplace to buy MBU NFTs and partner/community NFTs (e.g., Snout Bears, Little Mutant, Crypt Social Club).

Team, Delivery, and Community Enablement

  • Team status and focus:
    • Harley emphasizes Mike’s deep backend/dev work; acknowledges historical struggle to maintain a full delivery team.
    • Turning point: Assembling a stronger team and focus; multiple deliverables are close to release.
  • Education and communications:
    • Pamela notes common misinterpretations of rules and reluctance to read; MBU plans flipbooks, videos, tutorials, and voiceover explainers.
    • Harley has given the MBU Discord a “facelift”: bullet-point announcements, easy-to-skim formats, and plans for short video/voiceover guides.
  • Mike’s background and perspective:
    • Previously built a Halloween company (2008–2020), scaled to ~$2M valuation; pandemic-driven bankruptcy due to leveraged loans.
    • Lessons inform MBU’s emphasis on team-building and systems—creating durable assets rather than focusing on trading.

Web Poker Club – Prizes, Rules, and Logistics

  • Prize highlights for Wednesday:
    • Top 5 finishers: One MBU NFT each.
    • 1st–3rd place: One Banana DAO token each.
    • MAD tokens (usable in MBU Discord marketplace for NFTs and raffles).
    • Additional prizes: Jake’s Steakhouse; Paw Prints (Popular); Poker J Mac; Freedom Boxes NFTs; No Rugs NFT (OH community), which grants league points.
  • League:
    • Two-month poker league; ~22 days in; eight days until halfway point of Season 1.
    • You can use Discord roles to purchase league points via Drip if active on quests.
  • Friday game requirement:
    • Must be a member of both MBU Discord and Web Poker Club Discord to play and claim prizes.
    • Pamela has pinned the MBU Discord link in general chat; prize list typically posted ~30 minutes before game.
  • Conduct enforcement:
    • Quick guide (“viral rules”) is a 5-minute read; follow instructions precisely to avoid support bottlenecks.
    • Sitting out leads to yellow card; repeat offense earns red card and a 7-day Club GG suspension—prizes forfeited.
  • Special bounty:
    • 100 chips for knocking out Harley Queen in Wednesday’s game; submit screenshot via ticket to claim.

IRL and Ecosystem Update – Levy’s Zebu Live Debrief

  • Zebu Live overview:
    • Two-day London summit (organized by Flight3) with institutional sponsors (e.g., Coinbase) and ~4.5–5k attendees.
    • Spacious layout enabled deeper, high-quality conversations; structured Q&A after presentations fostered constructive critique.
  • On Chain Brits (OCB) activation:
    • Hosted a booth with Ronin (Axie Infinity’s chain). Showcased exclusive game betas across PCs/phones; educated the public.
    • Strategic intent: Strengthen back-end relationships; the collaboration already led to planning bigger future events with increased budgets.
    • Chewy (OCB co-founder) presented on stage; professional coverage and press presence.
  • Networking value:
    • Face-to-face interactions have driven major outcomes (e.g., Blockchain Banta peaks of ~11k listeners on Casper; Levy’s shift to full-time in the space).
    • Met Caspians (Casper community) discussing holdings and activity; deeper ties across US/EU/Asia attendees.
  • Ops notes:
    • Saved a ~$1k Ronin banner for reuse (e.g., Wolfie’s Bar meetup); Avalanche sponsorship secured through year-end with more chain activations planned next year.
    • Potential to bring Web Poker Club to future IRL events.

Key Takeaways and Action Items

  • MBU’s community takeover post-rug is a notable case of resilience; they now operate as a union+DAO with playful IP and serious governance.
  • Participation:
    • Join MBU Discord; watch for pinned tutorial links explaining the Base-based Nouns-style daily auction for DAO tokens.
    • Token holders can vote and submit proposals; sub-assets (joints/blunts) enable targeted, domain-specific allocation proposals.
  • Delivery readiness:
    • Expect clearer docs, bullet announcements, and short voice/video explainers; multiple backend features are nearly ready.
  • Poker logistics:
    • Check prize lists and rules; ensure Discord membership in both communities for Friday; avoid sit-outs; Harley bounty active.
  • IRL strategy:
    • Real-world events (Zebu Live, meetups) significantly accelerate trust, partnerships, and growth; OCB plans larger activations next year.

Notable Quotes

  • Monkey Mike: “Never go into business for money… go into business for love.”
  • Monkey Mike: “The Madlands is like Hotel California. You can check in, but you can never leave.”
  • Pamela (enforcement tone): Yellow/red card policy for sit-outs; potential 7-day Club GG suspension and prize forfeiture.

Closing Notes

  • Acknowledgments to KP, Pamela, Monkey Mike, Harley, and Levy.
  • Poker start reminders; follow speakers; ensure you meet Friday eligibility by joining MBU Discord and Web Poker Club Discord.
  • MBU team expresses gratitude, enthusiasm for sponsoring more weeks, and commitment to community fun and delivery.