In a quiet corner of Marikina city, far from trading screens and Telegram chats, a small café recently opened its doors. It’s called IHO and its founder—Marc Cedrix Castro—isn’t your typical café owner.

By day, Marc is the Marketing Manager for Bitget, one of the world’s leading crypto exchanges. But behind the coffee bar, he’s simply a guy who enjoys cooking for people, something he says has always been a form of love.

“Opening my own café has always been a childhood dream,” Castro shared. “I just never thought it would happen this soon.”

For someone deeply embedded in the fast-paced world of Web3, launching a local café might seem like a pivot. But Marc sees it differently,  not a career change, but a personal milestone made possible by lessons and opportunities earned in crypto.

Web3 as a Stepping Stone

In the past few years, Web3 has been framed in many ways—as a frontier, a revolution, or even a gamble. For him, it was something more personal: a space for learning, adaptability, and pushing creative boundaries. Working in Web3 marketing, especially for a firm like Bitget, demanded constant iteration, community engagement, and an openness to change.

“It’s a space where passion meets purpose,” he said. “And I’ve always believed there’s room for new heights.”

That mindset is evident as we see him take on a new challenge: building something tangible in Web2. With IHO, Marc channels the same drive and curiosity that shaped his crypto career, this time into a physical space where coffee and conversation take center stage. Their enthusiasm can be seen as they promote their soft launch in various social media platforms the past weeks as well, as can be seen through IHO’s  Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Bringing Crypto to the Countertop

While IHO is firmly rooted in the local café scene—lively interiors, home-style dishes, and a focus on community—traces of Marc's Web3 background still show up in subtle ways.

One example? Customers can pay in crypto.

“We accept crypto payments,” he explained. “Thanks to integrations with QRPH, some service providers can pay using their crypto wallets.”

It’s a quiet but meaningful signal that digital assets are becoming part of real-world commerce for its utility, and also a way of bridging two passions: technology and hospitality.

The Bigger Picture

Marc’’s story isn’t about a sudden departure from tech, nor is it a dramatic reinvention. Instead, it reflects a growing pattern among young professionals in Web3; using their careers as launchpads for personal ventures that reflect their values and interests.

Web3 may be fast-moving, but its real value, he believes, lies in how it opens up time, resources, and mindsets that make other dreams possible.

“Cooking for my loved ones has always been my way of showing love,” he said. “Now I get to share that with more people.”

Marc continues his work at Bitget while quietly growing IHO proof that careers can stretch in multiple directions at once.

In a space often defined by speculation and speed, Marc Cedrix Castro offers a quieter kind of ambition: one brewed slowly, and served warmly.