Pump.fun (PUMP)
Pump.Fun is a cryptocurrency launchpad specifically designed for the Solana blockchain. It allows users to create and trade tokens immediately on its platform and facilitates their launch onto decentralized exchanges, a process termed "graduation." Established on January 19, 2024, by Noah Tweedale, Alon Cohen, and Dylan Kerler, Pump.Fun has quickly become a significant player in the cryptocurrency space, especially in the realm of meme coins.
PUMP crypto-asset
The PUMP crypto-asset serves as the official utility coin for the Pump.Fun utility coin launch platform and the swap.pump.fun automated market maker (AMM) protocol, collectively known as the Pump.Fun Protocols. Although the PUMP asset is not mandatory for using the Pump.Fun Protocols, holders of the coin can participate in promotional giveaways. The asset is integrated with the pump.fun brand, promoting its use within the platform's ecosystem.
| Ticker | PUMP |
| Category | Decentralized Exchange (DEX) |
| Website | https://pump.fun/board |
| @pumpdotfun | |
| Contract Addresses | |
|---|---|
| solana | pu...fn Copied! |
| hyperliquid | 0x54...95Copied! |
Token launch
The Pump.fun (PUMP) token ICO, launched on July 12, 2025, at 14:00 UTC, was a pivotal event for the Solana-based memecoin platform, raising $500 million in just 12 minutes before selling out by July 15. With a total supply of 1 trillion tokens, 33% (330 billion) was allocated to the ICO, split into 18% (180 billion) for a private sale to institutional investors and 15% (125 billion, reduced from 150 billion) for the public sale at $0.004 per token, yielding a $4 billion fully diluted valuation. Other allocations included 24% for community initiatives (with a potential airdrop speculated by late July), 20% for the team with a one-year vesting cliff, 13% for existing investors, 2.4% for the ecosystem fund, and 3% for streaming content incentives. Tokens were fully unlocked at launch, with trading starting by July 18 on exchanges like Bybit, Kraken, and Hyperliquid, where the price hit a high of $0.01214 and a low of $0.003893, stabilizing at $0.004052 by July 19, with a $1.43 billion market cap.
The ICO required KYC, excluding U.S. and U.K. residents due to regulatory issues, including a $500 million U.S. lawsuit and FCA scrutiny. Critics, like Rex and IOSG Ventures’ Jocy, slammed the tokenomics as exploitative, noting 40% went to insiders and vague community reward promises, while 59.6% of ICO tokens were sold or transferred shortly after launch. Despite a 75–80% memecoin market decline, Pump.fun’s acquisition of Kolscan and plans to become a decentralized social platform rivaling Web2 giants signal ambitious growth, though concerns about sustainability and fairness persist.
Platform functionality
Pump.Fun offers users the ability to create memecoins instantly by uploading an image, selecting a ticker, and naming their token, all for a nominal fee. The platform charges a 1% swap fee on traded tokens and earns 1.5 Solana tokens when a coin reaches a market cap of $90,000 and graduates. Tokens are created through a "fair launch" method, where all tokens are minted simultaneously without presales, often at minimal initial values.
Token creation and trading
Pump.Fun is renowned for its rapid token creation process, allowing users to launch coins for free. While any token type can be created, most are classified as meme coins due to limited functionality beyond trading. Despite the high failure rate of tokens, the platform remains popular due to its ease of use and innovative features.
Growth and impact
By January 2025, Pump.Fun had facilitated the creation of over 6 million meme coins, marking it as one of the fastest-growing crypto applications. Bloomberg highlighted its role as a major driver of growth in the memecoin sector and the increased activity on the Solana blockchain.
Comparison with social media platforms
Pump.Fun has been compared to social media platforms like 4chan due to its user identification methods and the layout of token listings, resembling an imageboard's catalog. This comparison emphasizes the community-driven aspect of the platform, where interaction and token promotion play key roles.
Notable events and developments
Launch and early success
The domain name for Pump.Fun was registered on September 19, 2023, with the platform going live four months later. The founders, three English entrepreneurs, sought to address challenges in trading memecoins and the risk of financial losses. By mid-2024, Pump.Fun had generated $60 million in transaction fees with over a million tokens created.
Livestreaming feature
In 2024, Pump.Fun introduced a livestreaming feature enabling token developers to market their tokens actively. This feature allowed developers to stand out amidst the constant influx of new coins. Although initially controversial, it was suspended and later relaunched in April 2025 after improvements in moderation.
Major tokens and celebrity involvement
Pump.Fun has been a launchpad for several notable meme coins, including Fartcoin, which reached a $1 billion valuation. Celebrities like Iggy Azalea, Caitlyn Jenner, and Jason Derulo have also launched authorized meme coins on the platform, further boosting its visibility and appeal.