Who is Rune Christensen?
Rune Christensen is the co-founder and CEO of MakerDAO, a decentralized autonomous organization founded in 2014 together with Nikolai Mushegian. MakerDAO is known for issuing an Ethereum-based stablecoin called Dai, which is collateralized and pegged to the United States dollar.
At age 18, Christensen left for China, where he co-founded Try China, a company specializing in international recruitment, while studying biochemistry at the University of Copenhagen. He managed this company from 2011 to 2014. In early 2011, Christensen discovered Bitcoin and, after recognizing its potential, chose to sell his Chinese company to invest in this digital asset.
After facing the loss of Bitcoin due to the Mt. Gox hack in 2014, Rune Christensen believed in the value of the technology and decided that stablecoins could offer a more stable and viable alternative to cryptocurrencies. This thinking led him to create MakerDAO, a decentralized financial protocol with the aim of improving and making the global financial system more transparent.
In 2022, Rune Christensen faced challenges due to instability in the cryptocurrency market, with several exchanges and platforms facing issues that have affected consumer confidence in the industry. Additionally, MakerDAO has faced significant regulatory pressure, including sanctions from the US Treasury Department related to Tornado Cash.
In 2023, Rune Christensen planned to step down from leadership of MakerDAO in his “Endgame Plan,” aiming to make the project more decentralized and provide more stability to Dai. His future endeavors, including his involvement in environmental issues and promotion of nuclear energy, are yet to be determined.
