Pyth Network: How Real-Time Data is Shaping DeFi
In the decentralised finance market, speed and accuracy are not just advantages; they are essential. Smart contracts, which power everything from lending protocols to exchanges, need reliable, real-time data from the outside world to function correctly. This is where blockchain oracles come in, and Pyth Network has rapidly emerged as a critical player in this space.
Pyth is a system that pipes high-speed, professional-grade market data straight onto blockchains, so smart contracts know what’s going on in the world.
I’ll explain what Pyth Network is, why these oracles matter so much, where Pyth’s data gets used, how its PYTH token fits in, and, of course, how you can buy some on VALR.
The Growing Relevance of Oracles in Crypto
A blockchain oracle is a service that acts as a bridge, connecting blockchains to external, off-chain data sources. Blockchains are secure because they are isolated, meaning they cannot natively pull in information like stock prices, weather updates, or sports results. Oracles solve this problem by fetching, verifying, and feeding this real-world data to smart contracts, allowing them to execute based on real-world events and information.
The importance of oracles has grown exponentially with the DeFi market. Accurate price feeds are the bedrock of lending platforms, derivatives markets, stablecoins, and more.
This growing demand is clear from the data: blockchain oracles have seen their total value secured (TVS)—a measure of the assets they protect—skyrocket. Chainlink, a leading oracle, grew its TVS by over 52% to $52.38 billion between January 1 and August 4, 2025. Meanwhile, Pyth Network's total transaction volume (TTV)—which captures the value of transactions enabled by its data—surged by 377% year-over-year in Q1 2025 to $149.1 billion, signalling significant demand for the project's services.
What Is Pyth Network and How Does it Work?
Pyth Network is a decentralised, real-time market data oracle built to deliver high-fidelity financial data to multiple blockchains. It provides DeFi applications with the kind of low-latency, institutional-grade price feeds that are common in traditional finance.
What makes the Pyth Network unique is its reliance on first-party data providers. Instead of using intermediaries or public aggregators, Pyth sources its data directly from over 120 of the world's most prominent financial institutions, including major exchanges, market makers, and trading firms. These publishers submit their proprietary price data to Pyth's own application-specific blockchain, Pythnet.
Another key feature is Pyth Network's pull model. Unlike traditional oracles that continuously push updates to a blockchain (which can be costly and inefficient), Pyth allows applications to pull or request a price update on demand, whenever it is needed for a transaction. This model significantly reduces costs and ensures that users are always getting the most recent price available.
What Is Pyth Network Used for?
The high-speed, reliable data feeds from Pyth Network are valuable for a wide range of DeFi applications where precision is paramount.
One of the primary use cases is for decentralised exchanges (DEXs), especially those offering perpetual futures or other derivatives. These platforms require extremely fast and accurate price updates to manage liquidations and prevent market manipulation. Protocols like Synthetix and Drift leverage Pyth's data to ensure their users can trade with confidence, knowing the prices they see reflect the true state of the market.
Lending and borrowing protocols also heavily rely on Pyth data. To manage risk, these platforms must have precise, up-to-the-minute valuations of the collateral deposited by users. Pyth's data feeds allow them to accurately calculate loan-to-value ratios and execute liquidations efficiently and fairly, protecting the solvency of the protocol.
Finally, asset and wealth management protocols use Pyth to value their portfolios, and even stablecoins can use its feeds to help maintain their peg. By providing a trusted source of data, Pyth enables a more secure, efficient, and sophisticated DeFi ecosystem for everyone.
What Is the PYTH Token and What Network Is it on?
The PYTH crypto token is the native governance coin of Pyth Network, empowering the community to help steer the protocol's future.
PYTH Network token holders can participate in community governance through staking. By locking their cryptocurrencies in the Pyth DAO, holders can vote on governance proposals that shape key aspects of the ecosystem, such as update fees, reward distribution for data providers, and the listing of new price feeds.
The PYTH Network token has a total supply of 10 billion, with a scheduled unlock plan designed to gradually release tokens over several years.
In terms of blockchains, the PYTH token is available natively on Solana as an SPL token. However, thanks to permissionless bridges like Wormhole, it is widely available on numerous other chains, allowing for broad accessibility across the crypto market. This includes major networks like Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, and Avalanche, among many others.
How much is 1 PYTH in South African rands (ZAR)?
As of today, 1 PYTH = 0.000000 South African Rands (ZAR).
Market data last updated: Aug 11, 2025, 07:05 (GMT)
Buy PYTH on VALR
Pyth Network provides an essential service in the crypto market, delivering fast, first-party data that allows DeFi protocols to operate securely and efficiently. Through its pull model, blockchain support, and first-party data provider integrations, it has become a cornerstone of on-chain finance.
For those looking to gain exposure to this critical element of crypto infrastructure, VALR offers a seamless trading platform. As a secure, regulated, and user-friendly exchange serving over a million users globally, VALR provides quick, KYC- and AML-compliant onboarding and access to over 100 cryptocurrencies, including PYTH.
Here are three easy ways you can buy PYTH on VALR:
Simple Buy/Sell: Suitable for beginners, this feature lets you instantly swap one asset for another at the best available market price. Simply select PYTH, choose the asset you want to pay with, and confirm the trade.
Spot Exchange: For more advanced traders, our pro trading interface offers a full suite of tools. You can trade PYTH/USDT on VALR's spot market.
Spot Margin: Amplify your trading strategy by using spot margin on VALR for the PYTH/USDT pair, with up to 10x leverage available. This allows you to trade with more capital than you have in your account, amplifying potential gains (and losses).
Ready to gain exposure to PYTH? Create an account on VALR today!
Common PYTH to ZAR Conversions
| Amount (ZAR) | PYTH Amount as of MMM XX, YYYY at HH XM (GMT) |
|---|---|
| 5 | X.XXXXXX |
| 10 | X.XXXXXX |
| 25 | X.XXXXXX |
| 50 | X.XXXXXX |
| 100 | X.XXXXXX |
| 500 | X.XXXXXX |
| 1,000 | X.XXXXXX |
| 5,000 | X.XXXXXX |
| 10,000 | X.XXXXXX |
| 25,000 | X.XXXXXX |
| 50,000 | X.XXXXXX |
Frequently Asked Questions
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Pyth Network provides real-time, institutional-grade market data to blockchains, making it essential for DeFi apps like decentralized exchanges, lending platforms, stablecoins, and asset management protocols that need fast and accurate price feeds.
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Pyth Network’s native token (PYTH) is issued on Solana as an SPL token, but Pyth’s data services and token are also available on many other blockchains via bridges.
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You can buy PYTH tokens on VALR, a regulated global crypto exchange, using Simple Buy/Sell, the spot exchange, or with spot margin trading.
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PYTH is natively on Solana, but is bridged and accessible on Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, Avalanche, and other major networks.
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Pyth Network began its development in 2021 and has seen rapid adoption since, with major growth in 2024 and 2025.
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Anyone can use Pyth Network’s data feeds, and anyone who completes KYC/AML on VALR can buy PYTH tokens. Participation in governance is open to PYTH token holders.
Risk Disclosure
Trading or investing in crypto assets is risky and may result in the loss of capital as the value may fluctuate. VALR (Pty) Ltd is a licensed financial services provider (FSP #53308).
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are the personal views of the author and should not form the basis for making investment decisions, nor be construed as a recommendation or advice to engage in investment transactions.
