integrity over!

As a boy, helped his family run their newsstand at Columbus Circle, NYC

Graduated from Baruch College, NYC, with a history degree.

Taught himself to code, became interested in tech

First start-up: Matrix M, a very successful ringtones business based in NYC

Started Fun Hi, a social network business based on tokens – ahead of its time

Left business to re-charge and pursue self-development. Physical fitness, exploring new cultures. Lived on the West Coast, trained – boxing, had some amateur MMA bouts. Traveled all over Asia – incl. Thailand, Myanmar/Vietnam/Japan – climbed Mt Fuji.

Hurricane Katrina – on the ground in the aftermath of the hurricane. Learned how to “give-back” by helping to rebuild The New Orleans Cathedral Academy – the first school opened after Hurricane Katrina. Learned the fundamentals of philanthropy from Sister Mary-Rose and the nuns of the New Orleans Academy.

Went to Egypt to “help-out” during the Arab Spring. Was fighting with the rebels in Tahrir Square, Cairo, and was wounded. Interrogated by the military and eventually released. Learned that “putting your body on the line to protest” does not work.

Occupy Wall Street, Zuccotti Park, NYC. Spoke as a first-hand witness at rallies to explain the Arab Spring. Realized that the money system causes most of the world’s problems. Decided to do something about it.

The money system “rabbit-hole.” Researched the money system. First deep-dive into Bitcoin, something he had earlier dismissed as “Internet funny money.” Read Satoshi Nakamoto’s white paper.

First Bitcoin meet-up at Webster Hall, NYC. Met Bitcoin pioneers, entrepreneurs, developers. Began to frequent the Bitcoin Center in NYC regularly. Made contacts.

First crypto start-ups. None could gain traction.

Homeless. Very little savings from previous businesses. Convinced he could make crypto work to help solve problems, but could not find the right path.

Discovered a way to make money trading gift cards for crypto. Converted one of his old servers to a new business – co-founded Paxful, one of the biggest crypto peer-to-peer exchanges in the world.

Spearheaded crypto adoption in the Global South, particularly in Africa and especially in Nigeria.

Founded and became Executive Director of Built with Bitcoin (BwB). Funded by Paxful and based upon the lesson learned from the nuns in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. The goal was to “give back in the right way,” by providing education, clean water, and power infrastructure for people in the Global South so they have the same opportunities as people in other parts of the world. The first school was built in Rwanda in 2017. To date, more than a dozen schools have been built, in addition to infrastructure projects such as clean water, solar power, and community halls. (Funding was cut when Ray left Paxful.)

Paxful reaches 10m users of its platform (after 7 years of operation).

Ray resigns from Paxful and gives up all of his shares due to a conflict with his co-founder over the direction of the company, and his inability to continue his mission to provide financial solutions to the people of the Global South as a company based in the U.S.

Founds and becomes CEO of NoOnes, a crypto peer-to-peer app based in the Global South. Follows a business plan that better serves the people of the Global South by providing financial products and opportunities tailored to their needs. Included in the business plan is a model that gives back 50% of company profits to “citizens” of NoOnes.

NoOnes reaches 2m users of its platform (after 2 years of operation).

The therayfund.com is created to continue the work begun by Built with Bitcoin in 2017, including a goal to build 100 schools in the Global South.