Discover What Is Pump.fun? The Solana Meme Coin Factory Guide

Sandro Brasher

Blog

August 20, 2025

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Surprising fact: a launchpad that helped create over 11.9 million tokens and crossed $100 million in revenue faster than any crypto app feels like a headline — but those numbers are on-chain and verifiable.

I started tracking this platform after it hit roughly $774–$780 million in total revenue and added features like livestreaming and a native DEX. That pace rewired how people launch coins and changed trader behavior overnight.

In plain terms, this is a Solana-native token launch tool that removed friction and sped up creation. Expect a hands-on guide here: step-by-step creation, fees, graduation mechanics, and a data-backed look at market trends.

Later sections dig into the protocol’s DEX rewards (206,900,000 tokens plus 85 SOL at graduation), the $600M ICO for PUMP, and the ~ $19.7M buybacks that shaped incentives. I’ll share my practical checks and trackers so you can verify sources and act safely.

Key Takeaways

• The launchpad moved token creation from hours to minutes, fueling huge output and speculation.
• Fast revenue growth and millions of tokens are verifiable on-chain.
• Graduation mechanics add specific liquidity: 206.9M tokens + 85 SOL to the DEX.
• Protocol-level events (ICO, buybacks) shifted market rank and trader incentives.
• This guide will include a step-by-step creation walkthrough and data sources for verification.

What Is Pump.fun? The Solana Meme Coin Factory — Introduction, Proof, and Key Stats

This zero-code tool quietly rewired how creators mint assets on Solana, and the on-chain totals made that clear fast. I tracked the rollout from day one and the numbers read like a market experiment you can verify.

Quick introduction and origins

Background and founders

Founded in January 2024 by Alon Cohen, Dylan Kerler, and Noah Tweedale, the platform let anyone deploy a token in minutes. It launched with a 0.02 SOL fee, then removed that cost in August 2024—an inflection that spiked creation rates.

Snapshot stats and evidence

On-chain proof: more than 11.9M tokens created and lifetime revenue that raced past $100M faster than any prior crypto app. Current lifetime revenue sits near $774M–$780M, per Dune dashboards cited by Decrypt.

• Launch cadence: at times ~71% of daily launches on-chain.
• Product moves: livestreaming added, paused, then re-funded; liquidity shifted to PumpSwap with 50% revenue shared to creators.
• Token economy: PUMP ICO raised $600M (July 2025) and buybacks totaled ~ $19.73M shortly after launch.

Bottom line: the shift to free creation, backed by clear on-chain data, explains the surge in projects and how this platform altered the token launch market.

How Pump.fun Works: Step-by-Step Guide, Tools, Fees, and PumpSwap

Let me show the exact steps I use to launch a token and how the protocol handles price discovery and liquidity.

Creation flow

Quick steps: pick a name and tight ticker, write a short description, upload a clean image, optionally add X/Telegram/website links, then click “create coin.”

Launching costs 0 SOL today (a prior 0.02 SOL fee was removed). That low barrier encourages many users, so stay alert.

Bonding curve and graduation

The bonding curve runs pre-DEX price discovery. As buyers push market cap near ~$66,000, the token graduates.

At graduation it moves automatically to PumpSwap for deeper trading liquidity.

PumpSwap liquidity, fees, and incentives

On graduation the protocol seeds a pool with 206,900,000 tokens plus 85 SOL. PumpSwap captures exchange fees and shares 50% with creators.

Creators who complete the curve receive 0.5 SOL. That design aligns incentives but also raises spam and rug risks.

Practical tools and security

• Use a fresh wallet, set strict spend limits, and enable alerts from KOL Scan.
• Verify contract details on the platform page and watch creator wallets for sudden sells.
• Respect high variance: only risk what you can afford to lose.

Data-Driven View: Revenue Trends, Graduation Rates, Competition, and the PUMP Token

I mapped monthly receipts and launch counts to see how user appetite changed.

Monthly revenue fell sharply: January hit $136,743,809, while a recent month logged $26,390,173 — roughly an 80% drawdown (Dune via Decrypt).

Graduation rates tell a similar tale. They dropped from ~1.67% in November to ~0.58% in May. That decline signals lower market hunger and more automated behavior.

Signals and competition

• Daily creations fell from ~70,576 to about 10k–15k.
• LetsBonk overtook daily launches for 14 of 15 days in July 2025, showing market share can shift fast.
• Bots and snipers increased, and fee-sharing gave creators stronger short-term upside (one case: $93,780 in three weeks).

“An 80% revenue drop reframes growth expectations and exposes concentration risks.”

I rely on Dune dashboards, Decrypt reporting, and rank snapshots to triangulate these trends. The market for new tokens and projects has grown more competitive and more automated.

Predictions and Playbooks: Where the Market Could Go Next and Tools to Navigate It

Expect choppy, event-driven moves. Near-term price action will react to airdrop rumors, buyback signals, and social features more than steady user growth.

Allocation details matter: docs show 24% set for community & ecosystem and 3% for livestreaming. That reserve alone keeps speculation alive and can nudge price and trading activity even without a date.

Short- and mid-term predictions

Sentiment will stay split. Myriad snapshots once favored BONK over PUMP, but that can flip with airdrop confirmation or renewed buybacks.

Revenue should follow a spiky path — normalization after the January highs, punctuated by temporary surges tied to features or social events.

User playbook: discovery and execution

• Use Dune dashboards for platform-level metrics and PumpSwap pairs for liquidity checks.
• Track creator wallets with KOL Scan to spot prior rugs or sniper patterns.
• Before adding size, confirm graduation proximity and the expected liquidity seed (206.9M tokens + 85 SOL).

1. Verify spread and slippage on a small test trade.
2. Watch the first five minutes of trading for bot aggression.
3. Set a fixed max loss per entry and avoid extreme FDV claims.

Community and business angle

If the team keeps acquiring analytics (KOL Scan) and builds streaming formats, a true social loop could offset pure trading fatigue.

“Airdrop narratives and product moves will remain the key levers for user attention and funds flow.”

Conclusion

Conclusion

On-chain data makes the case: over 11.9M tokens and roughly $774M–$780M in lifetime revenue show how a low-barrier platform reshaped creation and short-term trading.

Key snapshots matter: January peak revenue near $136.7M versus recent ~$26.4M, graduation at ~ $66,000 that seeds 206.9M tokens + 85 SOL, free creation, and a 0.5 SOL reward for graduates.

Practical takeaways for users and builders: verify liquidity and fees on the exchange page, watch creator history with KOL Scan, and size positions for high variance. I’m watching any airdrop timetable, PumpSwap tweaks, and graduation rate moves over the next few days.

Sources: Dune dashboards, Decrypt, CoinGecko, Myriad.