Pump.fun $3M Hackathon Empowers Creators via Token Funding

Pump.fun has announced a $3 million Build in Public (BiP) Hackathon, changing how startups get funding. Backed by Pump Fund, its new investment arm, the program helps early-stage projects raise funding in a more simple and open way.

Instead of relying on traditional investors, this initiative will let the community decide which projects will succeed via tokenization. Project founders will receive funding directly from users who bet on their ideas early, removing barriers and empowering creators. 

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The BiP Hackathon will give 12 projects $250,000 each. The team also gets guidance from Pump.fun founders and joins their widely recognized and supportive community. To enter, projects must create a token, keep at least 10% of it, and share their progress publicly. 

The initiative also encourages posting updates, building communities, and streaming on Pump.fun. Projects at any stage or in any field can apply, and winners will be announced within 30 days after applications close on February 18, 2026.

Changing the funding game

Pump.fun Co-Founder Alon highlighted the challenge founders face in reaching users. He explained, “Distribution was such a huge challenge for us that one of my only New Year’s resolutions EVER was to get 10k followers on X in 2024.” 

Alon noted that tokenizing projects allowed instant funding while directly engaging communities. “Projects began launching tokens because they knew that 1) users loved buying into fresh ideas, and 2) there were millions of those kinds of people, which could become potential users and investors,” he said. 

He also emphasized that Pump.fun will roll out “major product updates” and incentives to draw founders seeking funding, exposure, and long-term traction.

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Kosgood, another key figure from the Pump.fun team, emphasized the scale of untapped talent. “AI just gave millions the ability to build. But most are still locked out: broke geniuses who can’t play the VC game. Portfolio companies with legit products being ignored. Builders trenching $100k MC shitters just to eat.” 

The hackathon seeks to unlock this talent, providing opportunities to skilled founders who would otherwise struggle to access capital.

Pump.fun’s market impact

Since launching on January 19, 2024, Pump.fun has changed how people create and trade tokens. It has made launching a token simple and added safety checks with the aim to protect users from scams. The platform has grown into a top revenue generating protocol quickly, now hosting over 13 million tokens, earning more than $1 billion in fees, and raising $1.3 billion in a major token sale.

It’s worth noting Pump.fun beats competitors like BisonFi, HumidiFi, Raydium, and Meteora with a wide margin, which all see solid but smaller activity. Pump’s top spot shows strong trading activity and mass user participation. 

Last month, Pump.fun launched Spotlight to help promising token projects on Solana get noticed. The program boosts visibility, makes trading easier, and helps new projects grow steadily. In the same spirit, the BiP Hackathon supports startups and strengthens Pump.fun’s platform even further.

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