Rayls Airdrop

Problem Solved

Rayls targets the gap between legacy finance and crypto. Today, banks do not have a prominent, safe, and compliant way to engage with DeFi. Traditional blockchains pose regulatory and privacy hurdles – anonymous transactions and public ledgers raise KYC/AML issues and risk data leaks, while base-layer scalability is often lacking. These factors deter institutions from blockchain adoption. Rayls tackles this by enforcing KYC on its public chain (mitigating issues like dusting attacks or illicit flows) and employing zero-knowledge proofs and homomorphic encryption for private, high-volume transactions. It’s the first EVM-based network to offer privacy, scalability, and interoperability together in one permissioned system, essentially providing a compliant bridge without sacrificing blockchain benefits.

Tokenomics

Rayls features a native token, $RLS, to power the network. The $RLS token will govern transactions, fees, and various network services – essentially serving as the gas and utility token for the Rayls Layer-2 and its subnets. While detailed tokenomics haven’t been fully disclosed, the token is expected to be used for paying transaction fees and possibly staking or governance in the ecosystem. Given Rayls’ substantial funding (~$38 M raised), early token allocation will likely tilt toward insiders and investors, implying a relatively centralized distribution at launch. Over time, network fees and usage (potentially with burns or revenue-sharing) are intended to align incentives for validators and users as the project matures.

Perspectives

Rayls’ long-term potential relies on institutional adoption. Early signs are positive: it was chosen as the privacy tech provider for Brazil’s CBDC pilot (Project Drex), involving the central bank and major banks. If Rayls can replicate such use cases globally (the team is eyeing expansion in Asia, Latin America, and Europe), it could channel massive real-world asset flows into DeFi. Its quantum-safe privacy layer and EVM compatibility give it flexibility to integrate existing DeFi protocols and legacy systems. That said, Rayls faces stiff challenges, competing with other enterprise blockchains and convincing financial institutions to move from pilots to production.

Founders and Team

Rayls is developed by Parfin, a fintech company founded in 2019. Marcos Viriato (CEO) is a veteran banker with 25+ years in finance, including a stint as a bank CTO, and Alex Buelau (CPTO) has been a crypto OG since 2013. This leadership blend of TradFi and crypto experience is complemented by a team of over 90 engineers and cryptographers. Rayls’ advanced ZK and encryption tech was developed in-house by Parfin’s cryptography team – indicating significant technical capabilities. The team’s credibility is further bolstered by industry recognition, as Parfin was selected for Mastercard’s Start Path accelerator. Overall, the founders and core team appear well-qualified to execute and scale this project.

Funding

Rayls (via Parfin) is well-capitalized, with roughly $38 million raised to date. This includes a $15 million seed round in January 2023, a $10 million Series A In August 2024, as well as several strategic and extension rounds. These funding rounds bring Parfin’s total funding to date into the mid-eight figures, providing a solid runway. The capital is earmarked for continuing Rayls development, attracting top talent, and fueling global expansion into key markets. With backing from top-tier crypto VCs and strategic partners, Rayls has the resources to pursue its ambitious roadmap, at least in the medium term.

Community

Rayls has quickly built a sizable community, driven largely by its airdrop and testnet campaign. Over 100,000 users have joined the Rayls testnet waitlist, lured by the chance to mint a Rayls Ticket NFT and potentially qualify for future $RLS token rewards. On social media, the project’s X (Twitter) account amassed around 175,000 followers within a few months of launch – a clear sign of buzz. Sentiment in the community is generally upbeat; many early adopters are excited by Rayls’ vision of bringing banks on-chain.

Competitors

Rayls operates in a niche domain with several direct and indirect competitors. Chains like Concordium or Polymesh also target regulated finance, but none combine public and private chains in one system. Enterprise platforms such as Hyperledger Fabric or R3’s Corda provide private ledgers but lack DeFi interoperability. Big banks’ in-house networks (e.g., JP Morgan’s Onyx) cover similar ground but remain proprietary. Mainstream L2s like Arbitrum or Optimism don’t offer built-in compliance or privacy. Rayls is carving out a new niche while needing to prove real market demand.