Meet Russ, our Community Member of the Month! Drawn by the decentralized nature of blockchain technology, Russ sees crypto as a chance to level the financial playing field. But his interests extend far beyond the digital realm. As a dedicated basketball coach, Russ is committed to using his crypto experience to uplift youth. Dive deeper into Russ's world and discover what makes him tick!

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What ignited your interest in crypto?

My interest in crypto was sparked in 2020. As an IT professional, I've always been fascinated by emerging technologies. When I came across crypto, I immediately recognized it as a potential game-changer. I frankly regret missing the rise of the internet in the 1990s, and crypto felt like a second chance to be part of something revolutionary from the ground floor. What truly captured my attention was the decentralized nature of crypto. It's an opportunity for everyone to have a stake in the future of finance, and that's something I believe in strongly.

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What are your thoughts on Interlock?

I'm incredibly excited about the future of Interlock (ILOCK). The current crypto space can be a bit of a wild west, and frankly, security concerns are a major barrier to entry for many people. Interlock's focus on collaborative security through its community-driven approach is exactly what we need.

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What aspect of Interlock excites you the most?

There are many things to be excited about with Interlock, but what truly sets it apart is the two-pronged approach of collaborative security and earning potential. Firstly, the idea that everyone using Interlock's ThreatSlayer extension contributes to a collective security shield is incredibly powerful. By sharing anonymized threat data, we can create a constantly evolving database of malicious activity. This benefits everyone in the ecosystem – the more data ThreatSlayer has, the better it becomes at identifying and blocking threats before they can cause damage. Secondly, the ability to monetize this shared data through $ILOCK tokens adds another layer of brilliance. It incentivizes users to participate actively, ensuring a constant flow of valuable threat data.

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Tell us a bit about yourself outside of crypto and your hobbies.

I've been an IT professional for 20 years, specializing in data integration and analysis. As a data engineer consultant for both the federal government and private sector, I'm now looking forward to transitioning my IT career to blockchain and web3 technology.

When I'm not at my laptop, I've been deeply involved in the world of basketball since 2007. Coaching and training young players is a passion for me. Seeing them develop their skills and teamwork is incredibly rewarding. My ultimate dream, fueled by the success I hope to achieve in the crypto space, is to build a sports facility specifically for underprivileged children in the Philippines.

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How can other Interlockers connect with you?

Feel free to follow me on Twitter! I'm always happy to connect and chat with other Interlockers.

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Keep posted and follow this series to get to know more things about individuals in the Interlock community!