Pump.fun’s $600M Token Sale Shuts Out US and UK Investors as Regulatory Heat Rises

Another day, another crypto project playing dodgeball with regulators.

Pump.fun's massive $600 million token sale just slammed the door on US and UK investors—proving once again that when the compliance hammer drops, decentralization goes out the window.

The move comes as no surprise to industry watchers. With the SEC and FSA circling like hawks, platforms are choosing self-preservation over principle. 'Permissionless innovation' lasts only until the lawyers get involved.

While the excluded investors fume, the rest of the crypto world shrugs. After all, $600M doesn't raise itself—someone's always happy to fill the regulatory arbitrage gap. Just don't call it banking when the suits come knocking.

TLDR

• Pump.fun will launch its $600 million token sale on Saturday, July 12th, selling 150 billion PUMP tokens at $0.004 each
• US, UK, and EU users are excluded from the sale due to regulatory restrictions and compliance issues
• The sale runs for three days on a first-come, first-served basis through partner exchanges including Bybit, Kraken, and Gate.io
• The ICO values Pump.fun at $4 billion, making it one of the most valuable crypto projects before token launch
• Funds will be used to build a decentralized social network to compete with Facebook, TikTok, and Twitch

The memecoin platform Pump.fun has confirmed its highly anticipated token sale will begin Saturday, July 12th at 14:00 UTC. The three-day initial coin offering will make 150 billion PUMP tokens available at $0.004 each.

The sale represents one of the largest cryptocurrency fundraising events of 2025. With a total token supply of 1 trillion, the project carries a fully diluted valuation of $4 billion.

the moment you’ve all been waiting for$PUMP is launching through an Initial Coin Offering on Saturday, July 12th.

airdrop coming soon.

our plan is to Kill Facebook, TikTok, and Twitch. On Solana.

learn more about $PUMP and how to get involved 👇 pic.twitter.com/KApiGnvtBg

— pump.fun (@pumpdotfun) July 9, 2025

Only 49 tokens currently hold valuations this high according to CoinGecko data. This positions Pump.fun among the most valuable cryptocurrency projects before launching its native token.

The public sale will run through Tuesday, July 15th at 14:00 UTC or until all tokens are sold. The offering operates under a first-come, first-served framework with immediate allocation upon purchase.

Bybit serves as the primary exchange hosting the sale, though several other platforms will participate. These include Kraken, Bitget, MEXC, KuCoin, and Gate.io.

Participation requires KYC verification through either the Pump.fun platform or partner exchanges. Investors must have funds ready on their chosen platform due to the immediate allocation system.

Major Geographic Restrictions Apply

US users face complete exclusion from the token sale. UK residents also cannot participate in the offering.

EU users registered through Bybit’s European platform will be barred from participation. This stems from compliance requirements under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation.

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority banned Pump.fun in December 2024. The company also faces ongoing legal challenges in the United States, including a lawsuit filed in January 2025 in the Southern District of New York.

All tokens sold will be fully unlocked from day one. Only a brief 48-72 hour non-transferable period will apply after the sale ends.

This immediate liquidity approach differs from many ICOs that use extended vesting periods. The structure allows for quick trading once the restriction period passes.

Platform Growth and Revenue Performance

Pump.fun launched in January 2024 and quickly became dominant in the solana memecoin ecosystem. The platform claims to have reached $100 million, $300 million, and $500 million in revenue faster than any company in history.

The platform has facilitated creation of over 6 million meme tokens. By November 2024, it had generated $250 million in revenue through its low-cost model.

The company charges under $2 for token creation and takes a 1% transaction fee. This accessible pricing has attracted a wide range of users to the platform.

Data from DefiLlama shows Pump.fun has generated nearly $715 million in total revenue. The platform brought in over $35 million in the past month alone.

Expansion Beyond Memecoins

The ICO funds will support Pump.fun’s plan to build a decentralized social network. The company aims to challenge established platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Twitch.

This expansion represents a major pivot from the current focus on memecoin creation. The social media vision involves users earning cryptocurrency rewards based on engagement and contributions.

The approach could attract users frustrated with traditional social media platforms’ advertising-heavy business models. Rather than having data monetized by centralized companies, users WOULD directly benefit from their participation.

The platform has experienced challenges recently, with trading volumes declining 75% since January 2025. Daily volumes have dropped approximately 80% over six months according to multiple data sources.

Competition has increased from rival platform LetsBonk.fun, which recently surpassed Pump.fun in daily revenue generation. Despite these challenges, the company maintains the ICO timing supports its expansion strategy.