They say journalists never truly clock out. But for Christian, that’s not just a metaphor, it’s a lifestyle. By day, he navigates the ever-shifting tides of the cryptocurrency market, wielding words like a seasoned editor and crafting articles that decipher the jargon for the masses. When the PC goes on hibernate mode, however, his pursuits take a more mechanical (and sometimes philosophical) turn.
Christian’s journey with the written word began long before the age of Bitcoin. In the hallowed halls of academia, he honed his craft as a feature writer for his college paper. This early love for storytelling paved the way for a successful stint as an editor at a data engineering firm, where his first-month essay win funded a months-long supply of doggie and kitty treats – a testament to his dedication to his furry companions (more on that later).
Christian then roamed the world of journalism, working at newspapers in Canada and even South Korea. He finally settled down at a local news giant in his hometown in the Philippines for a decade, becoming a total news junkie. But then, something new caught his eye: cryptocurrency. It was like a treasure hunt mixed with storytelling – right up his alley!
So, he landed a killer gig at NewsBTC and Bitcoinist, where he’s one of the go-to guys for all things crypto. He breaks down this confusing stuff into bite-sized pieces, making it easy for anyone to understand (he salutes his management team for teaching him this skill).
Think Christian’s all work and no play? Not a chance! When he’s not at his computer, you’ll find him indulging his passion for motorbikes. A true gearhead, Christian loves tinkering with his bike and savoring the joy of the open road on his 320-cc Yamaha R3. Once a speed demon who hit 120mph (a feat he vowed never to repeat), he now prefers leisurely rides along the coast, enjoying the wind in his thinning hair.
Speaking of chill, Christian’s got a crew of furry friends waiting for him at home. Two cats and a dog. He swears cats are way smarter than dogs (sorry, Grizzly), but he adores them all anyway. Apparently, watching his pets just chillin’ helps him analyze and write meticulously formatted articles even better.
Here’s the thing about this guy: He works a lot, but he keeps himself fueled by enough coffee to make it through the day – and some seriously delicious (Filipino) food. He says a delectable meal is the secret ingredient to a killer article. And after a long day of crypto crusading, he unwinds with some rum (mixed with milk) while watching slapstick movies.
Looking ahead, Christian sees a future intertwined with NewsBTC and Bitcoinist. He says he sees himself “growing old” alongside these companies, sharing his expertise and passion with a community he values, and fellow editors – and bosses – he deeply respects.
So, the next time you tread into the world of cryptocurrency, remember the man behind the words – the crypto crusader, the grease monkey, and the feline philosopher, all rolled into one.

The total value of assets locked (TVL) in Cardano’s decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem is approaching a 21-month high of $300 million on the back of the blockchain network’s native ADA token bullish price movement.

Per DeFillama data, Cardano’s TVL sits at $298 million as of press time, representing a 508% growth on the year-to-date (YTD) metric for a network whose TVL stood at under $50 million at the start of the year.

TVL measures the value of digital assets locked in a particular DeFi protocol/ecosystem. It can be used to gauge an ecosystem’s health and perceived trust, as a rising TVL suggests investors’ willingness to use the protocol/ecosystem.

Cardano DeFi activities

Data from DeFillama shows that DeFi activity on Cardano is witnessing a resurgence amid the bullish market sentiment.

Per the data aggregator’s dashboard, decentralized exchanges’ trading volume on Cardano during the last 24 hours stood at more than $10 million, while this same metric has recorded a 103% weekly increase to $41.31 million as of press time.

This represents a significant turnaround for a network whose DEXs processed less than $50 million in transactions in September. If the current trend persists, the blockchain will breach the $100 million monthly trading volume mark for the first time since August.

Other critical metrics for the network also point to an improving network activity. For context, the blockchain’s returning addresses have consistently averaged more than 40,000 in December, an increase from the average of 30,000 recorded throughout November.

Amid these developments, DeFi protocols on the network, like Lenfi, have seen their TVL rise to new all-time highs.

ADA price increases

Cardano’s ADA token has also emerged among the top-performing cryptocurrencies amid the general optimism pervading the digital assets market.

Data from CryptoSlate shows that ADA’s price increased by more than 15% during the past week, moving to as high as $0.45 from $0.37 during the last seven days. However, its value has retraced to $0.43 as of press time.

The price movement added around $2 billion to its market capitalization, which stood at $15.38 billion as of press time.

CryptoSlate’s data further shows a 77% growth on the YTD metric.