The rules don't change

In 2010, I joined Topstep as its second employee and, as COO, spent eleven years building the first retail prop firm. The category is now a multi-billion-dollar industry, but the same problems that plagued us a decade ago still exist.

The “sim funded” step was created to reduce live account losses, but it introduced a new predicament: as trader profits get too high, prop firm rules tighten, payout caps appear, accounts get flagged, and sim profits and payouts are put on hold while traders have to prove themselves again under even tighter parameters.

We built Catalyst because traders deserve better: a simpler, more transparent, and more equitable way to develop and earn from their trading skills. Prediction markets were the perfect fit—a new asset deserves a new, better model.

Here’s the difference. Defined targets. Defined payouts. The same rules for every trader. Payouts deposit into your wallet and are ready to withdraw immediately. No waiting, no minimums, and no risk manager approval required. Use your payouts to fund your own account and trade on your own terms.

Catalyst is not a prop firm, you’ll never trade our capital. The payouts you earn are set and transparent upfront, and you keep 100% of what you see. No variability. No subjectivity. You know what you have to do, and what you’ll earn when you do it.

Founder & CEO