From Berlin to Zanzibar: Emin Mahrt on nightlife, community, and why not club

Growing up in Berlin's underground

I grew up in Berlin during a time when the city's underground scene was shaping global music and art culture. Between 2009 and 2014, I immersed myself in that world, from theater and independent events to late-night clubs that became cultural movements in themselves. Berlin was more than a city. It was an education in diversity, creativity and collaboration, and its mix of art, politics and multicultural energy influenced everything I've built since.

When the pandemic hit and Berlin's nightlife came to a standstill, I decided to travel. I spent the next years moving across continents and seeing how music and culture come alive in different places. Everywhere I went, from small local venues to big cities, I saw the same thing. Every community has its own underground heartbeat, its own rhythm of expression.

How Why Not was born

One trip led me to Zanzibar, where my friend, the renowned DJ Andrei Pushkarev, was playing at the Soundscapes Festival. On that dance floor, with the ocean breeze and the rhythm of the island all around, I met another German, someone born in Ibiza, who had the idea to open a club on the island. We stayed in touch, and when he later decided to make it real, I joined as a co-founder and partner.

That's how Why Not Limited was born, a space that brings the creative intensity of Berlin's underground and Ibiza together with the warmth and authenticity of Zanzibar. It's more than a nightclub. It's a cultural bridge where locals and travelers meet through music, art and shared experiences.

Technology, proud.de and blockchain

Next to culture, my career has always been rooted in technology. I started early, I founded an Unreal Tournament CTF clan back in 1999, and later I studied IT and Politics and spent two years in Hong Kong.

Back in Berlin I founded proud.de, an independent socio-political magazine that became part of Germany's cultural record, with over 30 printed issues and a circulation of 1.5 million. The magazine even premiered a film, Para Para, in the Panorama section of the Berlinale.

Over time my focus moved to digital innovation and blockchain. I co-founded abend.net, an AI-driven ad-tech platform, and abend.com, a social event discovery app that helped organizers reach audiences globally.

Later I was COO and CPO at aeternity Blockchain. I joined after the raise of over $60 million in tokenized crowdfunding, and I contributed to the development of Liechtenstein's Blockchain Act. Then I joined Börse Stuttgart Digital Exchange as Chief Product Officer and led the creation of Europe's first regulated Bitcoin trading platform.

Nuri and life between Berlin and Tanzania

Now my focus is Nuri.com, a Bitcoin-first startup that brings the freedom of self-custody into everyday life. Nuri combines a Bitcoin wallet, a virtual and physical Visa card, and a Web3 Bank IBAN with SEPA. You can spend Bitcoin instantly, add it to Apple Pay, get cash from ATMs and convert between Bitcoin and local currencies, also the Tanzanian shilling. The goal is simple. Make Bitcoin practical, secure and usable everywhere.

After years of living fully on Bitcoin and traveling the world, I found a balance between Berlin and Tanzania. Zanzibar especially is still a source of inspiration for me, a reminder of how global culture and local authenticity can live together.

Working from here keeps me connected to Europe's tech scene and lets me stay grounded in a place where life still feels real, where you can touch the earth, hear the ocean and see communities building things together.

The way from Berlin's clubs to Zanzibar's shores, from underground culture to blockchain, has been anything but linear. But it's all connected by one idea, and that's curiosity.

https://youtu.be/j40nlh9se8I