Aqueous micelles serve as solvents, ligands, and reaction promoters in catalysis, offering sustainable and efficient alternatives to traditional organic solvents and ligands. This Perspective highlights the current understanding and challenges of micellar catalysis, emphasizing the role of designer surfactants in enabling reactions in water. Micellar catalysis involves the use of surfactants to solubilize organic substrates in water, allowing reactions to occur in a controlled environment. The micelle's structure provides a hydrophobic interior for reactions and a hydrophilic exterior for solvation, enabling the catalytic process. The review discusses the development of various surfactants, such as PS-750-M and TPGS-750-M, which mimic the properties of organic solvents and facilitate reactions in water. These surfactants have been used in a wide range of organic transformations, including cross-couplings, aminations, and carboxylation reactions. The review also highlights the importance of ligands in metal-catalyzed reactions, as they influence the reactivity and selectivity of the catalyst. The use of ligand-free catalysis in micellar systems has been shown to be effective, with surfactants acting as both ligands and reaction promoters. The review discusses the practical aspects of micellar catalysis, including the preparation of surfactant solutions, reaction conditions, and the importance of controlling factors such as temperature and stirring rate. The review also addresses the challenges of micellar catalysis, including the need for efficient surfactant design and the potential for future improvements in sustainability and efficiency. Overall, micellar catalysis offers a promising approach for sustainable and efficient chemical reactions in water, with significant potential for further development and application.Aqueous micelles serve as solvents, ligands, and reaction promoters in catalysis, offering sustainable and efficient alternatives to traditional organic solvents and ligands. This Perspective highlights the current understanding and challenges of micellar catalysis, emphasizing the role of designer surfactants in enabling reactions in water. Micellar catalysis involves the use of surfactants to solubilize organic substrates in water, allowing reactions to occur in a controlled environment. The micelle's structure provides a hydrophobic interior for reactions and a hydrophilic exterior for solvation, enabling the catalytic process. The review discusses the development of various surfactants, such as PS-750-M and TPGS-750-M, which mimic the properties of organic solvents and facilitate reactions in water. These surfactants have been used in a wide range of organic transformations, including cross-couplings, aminations, and carboxylation reactions. The review also highlights the importance of ligands in metal-catalyzed reactions, as they influence the reactivity and selectivity of the catalyst. The use of ligand-free catalysis in micellar systems has been shown to be effective, with surfactants acting as both ligands and reaction promoters. The review discusses the practical aspects of micellar catalysis, including the preparation of surfactant solutions, reaction conditions, and the importance of controlling factors such as temperature and stirring rate. The review also addresses the challenges of micellar catalysis, including the need for efficient surfactant design and the potential for future improvements in sustainability and efficiency. Overall, micellar catalysis offers a promising approach for sustainable and efficient chemical reactions in water, with significant potential for further development and application.