Mike CahillFounder

Earlier oracles were built for slow chains with low resolution. We came in with newer tech and chose Solana because of its 400-millisecond block time. That let us publish real-time price data on-chain with much less latency. And because it's on-chain, it's transparent and auditable, which is critical for trust.

We found that a lot of trading firms were frustrated with the high data fees charged by exchanges. When we offered them a chance to monetize their own execution data directly, they jumped on board. They didn't even need the DeFi pitch. They just wanted a way to share and earn from their own information for the first time.

We focused on stocking the shelves first. Before we approached protocols, we partnered with top data providers like Jane Street, Susquehanna, DRW, and others. Once we had that core group and could provide nearly any asset data, it was easier to bring developers and protocols on board. They saw the value right away.

Mainly two types—leverage and trading. For leverage, apps like Camino use our data to price collateral and manage loans. On the trading side, some protocols allow users to trade directly at the Pyth price, while others use our data to manage funding rates and keep derivatives aligned with spot markets.

Pyth Laser offers ultra-fast updates—down to 1 millisecond. It makes some trade-offs in decentralization for speed. That's useful for high-performance protocols that care more about user experience and latency than full decentralization. It's all about giving developers more choices based on their needs.

Speed really matters. Builders don't want laggy price feeds. When you provide fast, reliable data, it unlocks a whole new wave of app possibilities—especially in trading and lending. That's what makes Pyth so valuable to the ecosystem.

I was upfront with the team during tough times. I told them my plans and made it clear they had a choice. Every single person chose to join. That kind of trust and transparency made a big difference. It built a sense of shared ownership.

Mostly because the infrastructure isn't fully there yet. We still need better speed, lower latency, smoother UX, and a wider range of real-world assets on-chain. Once all that is in place, building that kind of app becomes much more realistic.

Super important. Most DeFi tools today are still stuck on desktop, which feels outdated. I already use mobile wallets like Phantom for quick interactions. Long term, mobile will be the main way most people around the world use these tools. Or maybe even something beyond mobile—like AI-driven interfaces.

I want to see a global, Robin Hood-style app that's fast, intuitive, and gives everyone access to assets they couldn't reach before. Especially in developing countries. It won't even feel like a DeFi app—it'll just be the finance app people use daily.

Once millions are onboarded, I think we'll see tons of creative financial features—like automated trade-following, real-time portfolio setups, even streaming salary investments. Things that haven't taken off yet because the infrastructure or form factor wasn't there. It'll unlock a whole new era of financial tools.

I'd be working on the same mission—just from a different angle. First, I'd help build faster blockchains or reduce latency on existing ones. Then I'd work on scaling and distributing that global finance app. After that, I'd focus on experimenting with new features that haven't been tried yet.