As Meme Coins Decline, Pump.fun Elevates Projects Focused on Practical Use

Pump.fun, a prominent token launchpad on Solana, has introduced a new program named "Spotlight" to promote promising utility token projects and tackle ongoing issues within the crypto sector, as reported by a

. The platform is redirecting its attention from coins—which had been its main focus since launching in January 2024—toward tokens with practical real-world uses, reflecting a wider industry move toward sustainability, according to a .

The Spotlight initiative is designed to address three main challenges: increasing project visibility, improving liquidity, and streamlining onboarding. By utilizing Pump.fun's established resources—including its website, mobile platform, and PadreApp—the program will offer token projects unmatched exposure, the Cryptotimes article highlighted. This shift comes as the meme coin sector has seen a steep decline, with its market share plummeting nearly 90% in 2025 due to market saturation, fraudulent schemes, and a growing investor preference for AI and DeFi projects, as noted by a

.

Pump.fun's new direction coincides with its strong financial performance. The platform has accumulated over $1.3 billion in fees and raised another $1.3 billion through a significant token offering, having hosted more than 13 million tokens so far, according to the Cryptotimes article. Its native PUMP token has recently appreciated, trading at $0.004604 with a 4.30% increase over the past 24 hours, the same Cryptotimes report stated. The Spotlight program also features PumpSwap's Dynamic Fees, launched in September, enabling projects to secure initial funding while keeping trading costs low, as reported by Cryptotimes.

The platform is committed to supporting projects for the long term, providing assistance in strategy, marketing, and communications to help teams develop lasting token economies, the Cryptotimes article added. "We have all the components to complete your puzzle," Pump.fun declared, emphasizing its role in connecting developers with potential investors. This strategy stands in contrast to the speculative nature of meme coins, which often lack practical use and have been criticized for enabling scams and rug pulls, as observed by Coinpedia.

Market experts interpret Pump.fun's transition as a response to fundamental weaknesses in the crypto landscape. While meme coins previously accounted for 60% of Solana's decentralized exchange (DEX) activity, their share has dropped to 30% as investors increasingly seek projects with real utility, the Coinpedia article pointed out. Pump.fun's Spotlight program intends to address this gap by encouraging "onchain capital formation for technology products," which has been a key factor in crypto's early growth, the BeinCrypto article explained.

The platform's updated approach includes tighter controls to restore confidence after previous incidents, such as rug pulls and misuse of live-streaming features, according to BeinCrypto. Despite these obstacles, Pump.fun continues to be profitable, having earned over $850 million in revenue since 2024, BeinCrypto reported.

As the crypto industry evolves, Pump.fun's emphasis on utility tokens mirrors a larger shift toward real-world applications. Projects like Remittix, which connects blockchain with traditional finance for cross-border payments, and Mutuum Finance, a DeFi protocol set to launch in Q4 2025, are examples of this movement, as mentioned in a

and a . At the same time, Pump.fun's push to standardize token launches could serve as a model for other platforms aiming to combine innovation with investor safety, the Cryptotimes article concluded.