Solana-based UFO meme coins surged dramatically on Friday after the U.S. Department of War published the first batch of declassified files on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) under the Trump administration’s new PURSUE system. The public portal WAR.GOV/UFO triggered a speculative wave, with UFOPEPE leading the rally by gaining 44.68%. The frenzy underscored Solana’s role as the go-to ecosystem for low-cap narrative trading, as platforms like Pump.fun recorded record decentralized exchange volumes in 2026.
However, the boom carries significant risk. An estimated 60% to 80% of the volume comes from bot activity, increasing the danger of pump-and-dump schemes. There is no fundamental link between the tokens and the Pentagon files; volatility depends entirely on social media hype and fast-moving news cycles. The government plans to release new tranches of files every few weeks, suggesting intermittent liquidity windows for UFO-themed assets.
While meme coins rallied, broader crypto markets slumped. Bitcoin and Ethereum fell as investors reacted to rising U.S.-Iran tensions near the Strait of Hormuz, which drove oil prices higher and pushed capital toward safer assets. The UFO disclosure temporarily shifted attention from the geopolitical turmoil, but risk-averse sentiment dominated major cryptocurrencies.