Paxful, a global peer-to-peer Bitcoin platform, has announced the appointment of Roshan Dharia as the new Interim Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. This comes after a brief shutdown period of the exchange prior to the departure of Co-Founder and former CEO Ray Youssef.
According to a press release sent to Bitcoin Magazine, Dharia will be responsible for strengthening operations and exploring strategic alternatives for the company. With over eight years of experience, Dharia expressed his enthusiasm for the role, stating, "It's a great honor to become CEO of Paxful. Over the last eight years, Paxful has been a pioneer in establishing the real use cases of Bitcoin and helping millions of people in the process."
Previously a senior executive at TrustToken (now known as Archblock), Dharia led the DeFi institutional lending business. He also founded and built the investment platform PTHL Affiliates, specializing in distressed private company acquisitions and turnarounds.
Srinivas Raju, the Custodian of Paxful, expressed his confidence in Dharia's leadership, stating, "I'm delighted that Roshan has joined Paxful and will take over day-to-day management of the company. I'm confident under his leadership the business will keep building a financial system that truly serves the 100%."
Youssef’s recent departure at Paxful was reportedly a result of a feud involving a myriad of accusations and legal disputes with co-founder Artur Schaback, who is currently the COO of the exchange.
Since its establishment in 2015, Paxful has experienced significant growth, attracting over 12 million users worldwide and facilitating billions of dollars in trades on its platform, according to the press release.