Pump.fun Launches New Investment Division for Early-Stage Projects, Kicks Off Hackathon

Pump.fun just dropped a bombshell—a dedicated investment arm for early-stage crypto projects. And they're kicking things off with a hackathon that's already sending shockwaves through the ecosystem.

Building the Launchpad

This isn't just another fund. It's a full-spectrum assault on the traditional venture model. The division aims to identify and fuel projects at their most vulnerable—and potentially most explosive—stage. Think of it as a specialized incubator with a turbocharger, designed to bypass the usual gatekeepers and friction that strangle innovation before it can breathe.

The Hackathon Catalyst

To jumpstart the pipeline, Pump.fun is running a concurrent hackathon. It's a classic move: dangle resources and a platform in front of hungry builders, then watch the ideas flood in. The strategy is transparent—use competition to surface the sharpest minds and most viable concepts, then funnel the winners directly into their new investment machine. It's efficient, if a little predatory—like hosting a fishing contest in your own private pond.

A New Playbook for Crypto VC

This move signals a deeper shift. By vertically integrating discovery, funding, and early development support, Pump.fun is writing a new playbook. It cuts out months of fundraising drudgery for founders and reduces due diligence blind spots for investors. The platform effectively becomes the first and most important check—a trend that could render traditional early-stage scout networks obsolete. After all, why rely on a spreadsheet of warm intros when you can algorithmically mine a live hackathon for talent?

The bottom line? The race to find the next big thing just got more structured, more competitive, and infinitely more interesting. Just remember—in crypto, today's visionary incubator can quickly become tomorrow's centralized bottleneck. Somewhere, a traditional VC is sipping a stale latte and muttering about 'valuation discipline' while the real builders are already shipping code.

“It will advance the startup ecosystem on pump fun by aligning itself with projects long-term,” Pump.fun wrote in a thread on X.

Pump.fun Hackathon – Not for VCs But Startups

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 Surges 3.04% – Eyes Short‑Term Breakout

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.