Key Takeaways
- Camila Russo is a crypto-journalist and founder of The Defiant. She worked at Bloomberg for eight years, covering markets and digital assets.
- Russo left Bloomberg in 2019 to focus on crypto writing. Inspired by her coverage of Bitcoin and Argentina’s economy, she wrote The Infinite Machine about Ethereum.
- Russo aims to connect traditional finance with blockchain, shaping its future and promoting equality.
Who is Camila Russo?
Camila Russo is a well-known cryptocurrency journalist who often speaks at industry events and appears in major media. She founded The Defiant, a platform for crypto content, and worked at Bloomberg News for eight years, covering developing markets, European stocks, and digital assets.
Camila earned her B.S. in Journalism from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, where she studied from 2004 to 2008. In 2009, she studied at Northwestern University, earning a Master of Science in Journalism, focusing on business reporting, magazine writing, and editing.
From Traditional Media To Crypto
Camila Russo started her career in 2007 as an International News Reporter for El Mercurio, Chile’s largest newspaper, covering breaking news and in-depth stories for the global section. In September 2010, she moved to New York to intern at Bloomberg News. She officially joined Bloomberg in 2011 as a reporter covering new markets, then transitioned to reporting on European stocks in 2015. By 2019, she was working as a Markets Blogger.
In January 2019, Camila left Bloomberg to focus on independent writing, covering topics like cryptocurrencies and markets in Argentina. She also authored The Infinite Machine, a book about Ethereum’s creation and the crypto’s growth, published by HarperCollins in July 2020.
The Making of The Defiant
Camila Russo started The Defiant in June 2019, a media company based in New York that covers important news and updates in DeFi. She leads the company, interviews industry experts for the podcast, and manages its daily operations.
Pompliano’s Influence
When asked about the beginnings of The Defiant, Camila explained that Anthony Pompliano was the first person to encourage her to start a newsletter. After interviewing her for his podcast, they discussed her idea for a DeFi newsletter, and he supported the idea, recommending she use Substack.
As she prepared to launch The Defiant, Camila paid more attention to Pompliano’s newsletter. She found inspiration in how he provides market analysis, offers free and paid versions, and builds stronger connections with his paying subscribers.
Camila Russo’s Path to DeFi
In an interview, Russo shared her journey before founding The Defiant in 2019. She worked at Bloomberg for eight years, covering New York, Argentina, and Spain. While in Argentina, she became interested in crypto as she reported on Bitcoin and the country’s economic challenges.
After Bloomberg rejected her idea for a crypto team, Russo left to start The Defiant, building it into a multi-channel media company. She faced early challenges but focused on creating a stable business while balancing work and motherhood.
The “ACJR Women in Crypto: Moving Up! Webinar” discussed women’s challenges in crypto. Panelists Laura Shin, Camila Russo, Katherine Ross, and Molly Jane Zuckerman shared experiences of online harassment and how women often face more criticism than men. They highlighted the importance of staying strong and building trust in a male-dominated field.
Russo’s Impact on the Crypto Ecosystem
Since starting The Defiant, Camila Russo has played a big role in the crypto and DeFi (Decentralized Finance). Her platform has become a trusted source of information about blockchain, decentralized finance, and digital assets. Russo helps explain complex topics to a wider audience through The Defiant, making the crypto world more understandable.
Advocating For Women
Russo is also a strong supporter of women in the crypto industry. She’s been outspoken about the need for more diversity and inclusion, pointing out that having more women in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sectors is important for the industry’s growth. Russo shows this by participating in events and panels focusing on women’s crypto leadership.
Bridging Crypto with Traditional Finance
Besides her writing, Russo has been involved in the development of DeFi by collaborating with industry leaders such as Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, Joseph Lubin, co-founder of Ethereum and founder of ConsenSys, and Stani Kulechov, founder of Aave. Through these collaborations, Russo has discussed the potential of DeFi to change traditional finance. Because of her work, she’s become one of the top crypto journalists influencing blockchain technology’s future.
Final Thoughts
Camila Russo has become a leading figure in the cryptocurrency and DeFi space. After working at Bloomberg, she started The Defiant to share news and information about digital assets. Through her work, she makes difficult topics more accessible to a wider audience. Russo also pushes for more women to join the crypto industry. She is helping connect traditional finance with blockchain technology, shaping the industry’s future as it grows.
Check out these related articles.
