Memecoin launchpad Pump.fun has launched an investment arm, Pump Fund, which will distribute $3 million in funding across 12 projects.
An animated video ad posted on X said that the fund is dedicated to early-stage startups. Further, it announced a Build in Public Hackathon, which will fund 12 projects with $250k at $10m valuation.
Introducing the $3,000,000 Build in Public Hackathon
— Pump.fun (@Pumpfun) January 19, 2026
Brought to you by Pump Fund – pump fun’s New Investment Arm
It’s time to completely reimagine how early-stage projects are built and funded.
Learn more
“It will advance the startup ecosystem on pump fun by aligning itself with projects long-term,” Pump.fun wrote in a thread on X.
The Solana-based platform wrote that the upcoming hackathon is a time-limited event that differs from traditional programs. The hackathon offers funding, mentorship with Pump.fun’s founders and more.
“Instead of having to please judges/VCs for money, tokenizing allows the market to become the judge,” the platform added. “Your users are the ones that fund you by betting on you early.”
In order to be eligible for the hackathon, early-stage project participants must launch a token and own at least 10% of the token supply.
However, the projects need not be crypto-related, Pump.fun clarified. Projects of all maturities, verticals, and traction are welcome, it said.
Besides, the platform will prioritize product and social traction, open communication and long-term viability while choosing winners.
One user wrote that the hackathon is “the biggest unlock of builder talent.” Though AI has supported millions to build projects and boost the talent pool, the funding system didn’t, the user wrote.
“Portfolio companies with legit product being ignored… hackathon survivors. incubator rejects. solo entrepreneurs with a vibe + idea & AI. 3 am Claude devs outshipping funded startups,” the X post read. “The talent pool just 100x’d, yet the funding system didn’t. Time to change the game.”
The first cohort of startups is expected by February 2026.
PUMP, the native token of Pump.fun, rose 3.04% in the last 24 hours following the announcement of the Pump Fund launch. The token is trading at $0.00256 during press time, per CoinMarketCap.
Recent gains reflect short-term momentum but face resistance near $0.00274.
The token reached an all-time high in September, and has dropped 70% since then. The increase in memecoin activity, with Pump.fun-launched coins like WhiteWhale gaining traction, has pumped the token back on the radar.
Further, according to DefiLlama, the activity has contributed to a steady increase in revenue in the recent past, creating a strong tokenomic backbone for the rally.
The post Pump.fun Launches New Investment Division for Early-Stage Projects, Kicks Off Hackathon appeared first on Cryptonews.
Key takeaways
PUMP, the native coin of the Pump.fun DEX is up 1% in the last 24 hours, outperforming the broader crypto market.
The positive performance comes after Pump.fun released a callout feature on Thursday for creators to share listed coins with their followers. This latest development could boost the social interest and trading activity on the platform.
The release also comes when Pump.fun’s DEX volume is on the rise, hitting $84.34 million a few hours ago.
In addition to that, derivatives data indicate wavering retail interest in PUMP as capital flow and funding rates see-saw over the last week. According to CoinGlass, PUMP’s Open Interest (OI) is down 2% in the previous 24 hours to $237.69 million, pulled from $250 million twice so far this month.
Furthermore, the OI-weighted funding rate is at -0.0032%, pulling into the negative territory, suggesting that traders are holding more short positions.
The PUMP/USD 4H Chart is bullish and efficient as the cryptocurrency has performed excellently since the start of the week. PUMP is trading at $0.0029 after facing rejection in the last two sessions.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) remains above the signal line and in positive territory. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 60 rises toward the overbought zone, consistent with this week’s recovery.
If the daily candle closes above $0.003000, it would keep the near-term bias supported and push PUMP’s price towards $0.0033. The next major resistance level stands at $0.004048
However, if the bulls fail and PUMP drops below the 20-day EMA at $0.002577, it could dip further towards the $0.002330 support level.
The post PUMP eyes $0.0033 on release of creator-focused callout feature appeared first on CoinJournal.
Key takeaways
PUMP, the native token of the Pump.fun, is up by 30% in the last seven days, making it one of the top performers among the leading 100 cryptocurrencies by market cap. The rally comes amid growing demand for memecoins.
The rally also resulted in Pump.fun’s DEX volume hitting $1.28 billion on Monday, up from the $805 million recorded on Sunday.
The token has appreciated in recent days thanks to meme coin-driven trading activity in several ways, including token buybacks that depend on revenue generated. The DEX allocates nearly 100% of revenue to the token buyback program, which is expected to build long-term value for PUMP.
Furthermore, retail interest in PUMP has increased in recent days. According to CoinGlass, PUMP’s futures Open Interest (OI) averaged $231 million on Tuesday, up from approximately $207 million on Monday and $150 million on last Thursday. This suggests that traders are confident PUMP has the potential to sustain a short-term recovery.
The PUMP/USD 4-hour chart is bullish and efficient as the token has added 30% to its value in the last seven days. At press time, PUMP is trading above $0.0023 and could rally higher in the near term.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator on the 4-hour chart supports a bullish bias. The RSI also reads 61 and is heading into the overbought region if the bullish trend continues.
If the bulls remain in control, PUMP could rally towards the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $0.002992 to ascertain its recovery potential and encourage traders to increase exposure. The next major resistance level stands above the 100-day EMA at $0.0032.
However, if the bears regain control, PUMP could undergo a slight correction towards the $0.0020 psychological level.
The post PUMP eyes rally as DEX volume surges: Check forecast appeared first on CoinJournal.
Login