Pump.fun Raises $1B in 12 Minutes With Meme Token Launch

Pump.fun launched its PUMP token on July 12; public trading begins today.

Pump.fun, a crypto platform widely known as the "meme coin factory," launched the presale of its PUMP token on CEX exchanges over the weekend. The native PUMP token became available through an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) starting July 12, 2025. The token sale concluded in just 12 minutes.

Pump.fun issued 1 trillion PUMP tokens (33% of the total supply) priced at $0.004 each. Out of these, 15% were offered via ICO, and another 18% were sold to institutional investors. As a result, the team raised $600 million during the ICO, and institutional investor participation pushed the total funds raised to over $1 billion.

The token distribution is as follows: 33% sold during the ICO, 24% allocated to community initiatives, 20% reserved for the team, and 13% distributed among existing investors.

On the premarket, the token price peaked at $0.007. Full-scale trading was initially set for July 15, but has been 14 July due to the complete sell-out of the token supply.

What is Pump.fun?

Pumpfun is essentially a crypto platform allowing any user to create and launch meme coins based on Solana. Meme coin popularity surged dramatically in late 2024 and early 2025. Particularly noteworthy—judging by the media meltdown it caused—was the launch of the meme coins TRUMP and MELANIA ahead of Donald Trump's presidential inauguration. According to Coingecko and Coinmarketcap data, meme coins such as PEPE, TRUMP, DOGE, and others experienced price surges amid rumors of the PUMP token launch.

The $1 billion raised by the PUMP team is expected to fund the platform's development. Previously, Pump.fun faced criticism for slow updates of key features. Future plans include developing its own Launchpad, adding DEX functionalities, integrating social media features, and launching a dedicated streaming service.

Context

As a reminder, in February 2025, the new leadership of the SEC issued clarifications on the legal status of meme coins. According to the watchdoп, meme coins are not securities but rather comparable to collectibles. This means meme coin issuances and sales do not require registration, and buyers are not protected under U.S. federal securities laws. Meme coins are not backed by assets, unrelated to investment activities, and their value is determined solely by market demand, making them highly volatile.