Rumors suggest that Pump.fun is preparing to launch its own token, and Bybit renamed its PUMP ticker to PUMPBTC in anticipation.
This launch will presumably take one of two forms: either a massive airdrop or a Liquidity Bootstrapping Protocol (LBP). Both have distinct advantages and downsides, but the community doesn’t have any more information yet.
Understanding the PUMP Token Rumors
Pump.fun, the meme coin launch platform, hasn’t publicly commented on these token rumors. However, both the meme coin market and the launchpad’s dominance in the sector have shrunk in the last month, possibly necessitating a major new initiative.
Today, fresh new rumors are circulating after Bybit remained an existing token called ‘PUMP’.
More specifically, PumpBTC is a liquid staking solution for Babylon. The network’s native token was PUMP, which is listed on Bybit.
However, the exchange formally renamed this token to ‘PUMPBTC’ today, leaving the ‘PUMP’ ticker open. This drove speculation that the Solana launchpad could be preparing to launch its token.
The rumored token launch already caused several assets associated with Pump.fun to spike in valuation. These include an unofficial token in honor of a co-founder and a “mascot” token, but traders may continue speculating on other tangentially related assets.
Some prominent accounts have been circulating additional rumors, but these are unverified.
“Whales are reporting a Pump.fun token launching in two weeks. A rumored $4 billion valuation is already in play, a new investment round is circulating now, and there will be a full unlock on day one. Is Pump.fun planning to launch its own chain too?” claimed Beluga. This user did not provide any concrete evidence for such assertions.
Considering Bybit’s participation, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Pump.fun will launch some sort of token in the near future. The main question, then, is what the release will actually look like. At the moment, it seems like two options are plausible.
The first is that Pump.fun could conduct a massive airdrop similar to the one Jito used for its JTO token. This airdrop gave some users tens of thousands of dollars, creating a public spectacle.
In turn, this inspired the rise of several future meme coins (BONK, WIF, POPCAT, etc). These tokens became major successes in the meme coin sector.
Instead, Pump.fun could also use a Liquidity Bootstrapping Protocol (LBP) like TRUMP employed. This approach would encourage speculators to invest en masse, bringing huge inflows to Pump.fun while sapping market share from other assets and token sectors.
If successful, this could net Pump.fun’s team $200-30 million.
Based on the current information, the crypto community can only make educated guesses about Pump.fun’s new token. The platform has recently experienced controversies regarding scam tokens and market manipulation, but these rumors are already generating huge hype.
