In a strategic evolution from a simple memecoin launchpad to a comprehensive incubator, Pump.fun has officially launched the Pump Fund alongside a major $3 million hackathon. Announced in early 2025, this initiative aims to provide structured, long-term support for early-stage blockchain startups, directly addressing the common issue of project abandonment post-launch.
The core of the launch is a 30-day hackathon featuring one of the largest prize pools dedicated to memecoin and light DeFi innovation. The $3 million in total prizes will be distributed, with plans to fund 12 projects with $250,000 each at a $10 million valuation. A critical participation rule mandates that all competing projects must successfully launch a token on Pump.fun and lock or hold at least 10% of the token's total supply. This mechanism is designed to align developer incentives with long-term project health and deter 'pump-and-dump' schemes.
The Pump Fund itself will provide selected projects with more than just capital. Support includes strategic mentorship from Pump.fun founders, technical resources like subsidized auditing services, and go-to-market assistance for community building and exchange listings. The fund is open to projects of "all maturities, verticals, and traction," with a focus on teams that ship quickly and communicate openly.
This pivot comes as Pump.fun's trading volumes have declined from an all-time high of $11.75 billion in January 2025 to $2.43 billion in December 2025, following a drop in memecoin trading frenzy. Co-founder Alon Cohen stated on X that the initiative responds to the high demand for "good founders" and capitalizes on the trend of tokenizing early-stage projects to allow the market itself to act as the judge and funder.
Industry analysts note the initiative's potential to raise quality standards in the memecoin and light DeFi space by incentivizing building over mere speculation. Data from similar programs suggests projects with structured post-launch support have a 40-60% higher rate of maintaining development activity after one year.
