Despite declining volumes, PUMP saw $3.71M in Smart Money inflows and a rumored $31M buyback.
Crypto exchange OKX announced it will list one of the most talked-about meme coins of the year, the PUMP token from Pump.fun, with trading set to begin at 7:00 AM UTC on July 18.
The listing comes as the token battles heavy sell pressure, dropping 6% in the last 24 hours and down over 56% from its all-time high (ATH).
📢 #NewListing#OKX will list $PUMP @pumpdotfun!
🟢 $PUMP/USDT Spot trading will begin at 7:00 AM on 18 Jul (UTC).
More: https://t.co/ZD1kpOMVCW pic.twitter.com/Tefs20ZXKP
— OKX (@okx) July 18, 2025
Currently trading at $0.005286, $PUMP is struggling to find solid footing, sliding from a daily high of $0.005825 before rebounding slightly from a low of $0.004805, according to CoinMarketCap data.
Interest in PUMP Refuses to Fade
Despite the price slump, the interest in the token remains significant. Nansen reported a 24.6% surge in public figure holdings over the past 24 hours, with wallets such as Tendychallenge (60.55M tokens), Y22 (6.02M), and Mr. Frog emerging as notable holders.
$PUMP got wallets moving. Public figure holdings up +24.6% in 24h.
Tendychallenge 60.55M.
Y22 – 6.02M
Mr. Frog not far behind.Meanwhile on X, reports of a $31M buyback initiative for $PUMP and buzz on token buybacks. pic.twitter.com/XSSpLvuQa7
— Nansen 🧭 (@nansen_ai) July 18, 2025
Nansen also highlighted $3.71 million in net Smart Money inflows, suggesting some market players still see potential upside. Also, a $31 million buyback initiative is gaining traction on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Security Concerns Cloud the Frenzy
However, not all attention has been positive. Security firm Blockaid revealed that over 2,400 fake PUMP tokens have been deployed in recent weeks, many acting as honeypots or rugpull traps to lure unsuspecting users.
The firm’s threat intel team also uncovered a wave of malicious dApps masquerading as official Pump.fun websites, with wallet-drainer scripts designed to steal user funds.
6/ Most dApp attacks happened on July 12th when the token pre-sale happened.
During this ICO period, Blockaid was blocking ~500 users per day from falling victim to these scams. pic.twitter.com/zzhwcW29dQ
— Blockaid (@blockaid_) July 18, 2025
Blockaid says it blocked over 1,000 unique attacks on launch day alone, and more than 6,700 threats in the last two weeks, emphasizing the growing risks tied to viral token launches.
Quick Profit-Taking
According to BitMEX, nearly 60% of presale participants have already sold or transferred their PUMP tokens to centralized exchanges or other wallets. Of the 10,145 ICO wallets, only 37.4% continue to hold, while a mere 3% increased their holdings since the token launched.
It's been almost 1 week since the @pumpdotfun ICO💊
From 10,145 participants who contributed $448.5M:
➡️59.6% sold or transferred
➡️37.4% continue to HODL
➡️3% increased their holdingsOur quant reveals traders are still BULLISH on $PUMP. Read on👇https://t.co/mIH0MN8Tby pic.twitter.com/pFdAa2FXfH
— BitMEX (@BitMEX) July 17, 2025
Despite this sell-off, BitMEX noted the token defied initial expectations, debuting 40% above its presale price at $0.0056, even with a high initial unlock rate.
Interestingly, funding rates for PUMP in derivatives markets remain positive, indicating some level of confidence among traders, an unusual sign for a meme coin experiencing heavy sell pressure.
Market Saturation and the Road Ahead
BitMEX analysts also flagged a troubling macro trend: declining volumes on Pump.fun’s platform, dropping from $11.6 billion in January to $3.65 billion in June.
As its competitors like Bonk BONK $0.000035 24h volatility: 7.7% Market cap: $2.70 B Vol. 24h: $2.40 B begin to gain traction, Pump.fun’s dominance in the Solana meme coin space may be facing its first real challenge.
Still, the $500 million raised in its 12-minute ICO made PUMP one of the most successful token launches of 2025.
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