Pumpfun exploded in popularity as a meme coin launchpad on Solana. It made token creation simple, fast, and accessible. Anyone with a Solana wallet could mint a token in seconds. But here’s the catch. Out of thousands of tokens launched every day, only about 1 percent graduate.
What does that mean? Graduation on Pumpfun happens when a token reaches key milestones. This includes trading volume, user engagement, and a growing number of holders. When these conditions are met, the token is removed from the bonding curve and gains access to liquidity.
Yet very few make it that far. So why does such a tiny fraction succeed? Let’s break down the main reasons.
Low Barrier to Entry Causes Oversaturation
Pumpfun makes it ridiculously easy to launch a token. This is great in theory. It opens the door to creativity and experimentation. But in practice, it creates a flood of low-quality projects.
Anyone can spin up a coin. No coding required. No fees beyond a small Solana transaction cost. And no accountability. As a result, the platform is full of spam, joke tokens, and half-baked ideas.
With no real skin in the game, most creators launch and abandon. Many are just testing the waters. Others aim to flip quickly. Most don’t care if their coin lives beyond an hour.
When anyone can do it, everyone does. But most do not follow through. So, the low barrier becomes a high hurdle for quality.
Memes Are Fun But Fleeting
The platform thrives on memes. That’s the entire premise. Funny names, inside jokes, and viral moments drive interest.
However, memes have a short shelf life. What’s funny today is forgotten tomorrow. A coin can pop off in the morning and die by night.
This makes it hard to build lasting communities. Without a stronger story or deeper purpose, most meme tokens burn out. They get buried under the next wave of new launches.
A few creators manage to turn a meme into a movement. Most don’t. They rely on hype that disappears fast.
The Bonding Curve Encourages Early Exit
Pumpfun uses a bonding curve model. This means that as more people buy, the token price increases. It rewards early adopters. But it also creates strong incentives to sell early.
Many traders jump in, ride the first wave of buyers, and exit quickly for profit. This leaves latecomers holding the bag. Once early holders dump, momentum crashes. Price drops sharply. Volume dries up.
In this model, survival becomes difficult. It’s not designed for long-term holding. Instead, it rewards fast reactions and quick exits. That’s great for traders, but not for building serious projects.
No Utility Means No Staying Power
Most Pumpfun tokens offer no utility. They don’t do anything. There’s no staking, no governance, no revenue-sharing, and no real product.
Buyers are drawn in by memes, not mechanics. And when the joke stops being funny, there’s no reason to stay. Without utility, there’s no value beyond speculation.
Some graduating projects overcome this by adding features. They build games, launch NFTs, or start communities that offer rewards. These extra layers help keep users engaged. But for most tokens, there’s nothing beyond the meme.
Hype Moves Too Fast
Pumpfun is built on speed. New tokens launch every minute. Telegram groups and X (Twitter) accounts push fresh picks constantly.
As a result, attention spans are short. The spotlight moves fast. Even a promising token gets maybe one or two hours of hype. After that, it’s old news.
For creators, this means you need perfect timing. If your token goes live during a lull, maybe you catch a wave. But if 20 other tokens launch at the same time, you get buried.
Without a serious plan or marketing effort, most tokens fail to stay relevant long enough to graduate.
Trust Issues from Rug Pulls
While Pumpfun’s bonding curve design reduces traditional rug pulls, trust issues still exist. Some creators fabricate hype through fake holders and bot activity. Others launch with no intention to follow through.
Once a token peaks, they disappear. No community updates. No roadmap. Just radio silence. This hurts the reputation of the entire platform.
After enough rug-like behavior, buyers become cautious. They stop aping into new tokens. And without trust, even honest projects get ignored.
A healthy ecosystem needs good actors. Unfortunately, many creators are only there for a quick pump.
No Real Community Building
Graduation requires more than just good tokenomics. It needs a strong and growing community. Yet most creators do not engage with their audience at all.
They don’t build Twitter profiles, they don’t create Discord servers, they don’t interact with holders. Instead, they rely on the bonding curve and hope for the best.
Successful projects, on the other hand, treat their token like a brand. They post updates, they create memes, they interact with fans they run giveaways or contests.
This helps them maintain attention during quiet periods. And more importantly, it makes holders feel part of something bigger.
Solana Whales Can Manipulate Easily
Because most Pumpfun tokens start with very low liquidity, they are easy to manipulate. A whale can buy a few SOL worth of a token and spike the price instantly.
This creates false hype. Retail buyers see the pump and jump in, thinking something big is happening. Then the whale dumps on them. The price crashes.
After enough of these cycles, traders become hesitant. They stop trusting volume spikes. And when confidence fades, so does participation.
This dynamic keeps most tokens from growing organically. It also discourages newcomers from experimenting with new projects.
Lack of Infrastructure After Graduation
Even if a token graduates, challenges remain. It still has limited exposure. It remains on decentralized exchanges. There are no centralized listings. No fiat onramps. No cross-chain support.
Graduation unlocks liquidity, but not legitimacy. Tokens that want to grow beyond Pumpfun need to build on top of what they’ve started.
This includes partnerships, integrations, and maybe even VC attention. But very few projects are ready for that next step. Graduation, then, becomes just another milestone—not a guarantee of future success.
It’s a Meme Playground by Design
Maybe the 1 percent rate is exactly what Pumpfun wants. The platform was never meant to create serious altcoins. It’s designed as a meme playground. A decentralized creative lab. A place where anyone can try something wild and weird.
In that context, a low graduation rate makes sense. Most experiments fail. That’s how creative ecosystems work. A few hits carry the platform’s reputation. The rest fade away.
Instead of trying to increase graduation rates, the real opportunity is in building better tools for the 1 percent who do make it. Because that’s where the next Dogecoin or Bonk might emerge.
How to Join the 1 Percent
If you’re planning to launch on Pumpfun and want to beat the odds, here are some actionable tips.
First, brand matters. Pick a name that’s catchy, clever, and shareable. The meme is your hook. Make sure it’s strong.
Second, build a community early. Start a Twitter account before launch. Set up a Telegram. Invite friends. Get people talking. Share your token before it even goes live.
Third, offer value. Even something small—like NFTs, contests, or merch—can go a long way. Give people a reason to hold your token.
Fourth, time your launch. Avoid weekends with heavy competition. Launch when you can dominate attention for at least an hour or two.
Finally, stay active. Post updates. Share milestones. Celebrate every achievement. Tokens die when creators go silent.
Conclusion
Pumpfun is fast, chaotic, and addictive. But it’s not a place for lazy launches. The 1 percent graduation rate reflects a brutal reality—most projects aren’t built to last.
Still, that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it means that real builders stand out. If you take your meme seriously, if you show up daily, if you care about your holders, you can defy the odds.
Pumpfun is a playground. But for the few who treat it like a launchpad, it’s a real opportunity.
Are you ready to build something that graduates?
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Nothing here should be considered financial advice. Always do your own research before buying or trading any token.
