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  • Pump.fun’s Tokenomics is out — But whales aren’t happy.

Pump.fun’s Tokenomics is out — But whales aren’t happy.

PLUS: Ethereum regains momentum, Snoop’s NFTs make it big, and U.S. regulators draw new lines on tokenized stocks.

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Cryptopolitan News
July 10, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

🧠 Pump.fun launches PUMP token this weekend — but not everyone’s buying the hype

The memecoin factory Pump.fun is finally launching its own token — PUMP — on Saturday, July 12. You’ve probably seen the name float around crypto Twitter or heard rumors of huge revenue numbers. And it’s true: Pump.fun has been one of Solana’s most profitable DeFi apps this year.

But here’s the twist. While retail is gearing up for the launch, whales are already betting against it.

Let’s break it down.

What’s Pump.fun doing?

  • They’re selling 1 trillion tokens, with 33% going to ICO sales (public + private).

  • Each token is priced at $0.004, and everyone including institutional buyers, pays the same.

  • All tokens unlock on day one, but trading only begins 48–72 hours later.

In theory, this gives early buyers a shot at big gains. But whales don’t seem to think so.

Two large wallets each loaded with millions in USDC, just opened short positions on HyperLiquid. Combined, they’re betting $7 million that PUMP will fall once it hits the market.

And this isn’t just FUD. These wallets went live before the public sale even started.

Why the skepticism?

Pump.fun has built serious hype since January:

  • Generated over $700 million in revenue.

  • Claimed to “outgrow TikTok and Twitch” by replacing social media with token-powered communities.

  • Collected 1.6M SOL from users via its bonding-curve fees.

But the whales seem to believe the $0.004 token price is overvalued, or that initial excitement will fade fast.

And because all ICO tokens unlock immediately, any dump could happen fast, before the community has a chance to react.

What to watch:

  • The sale ends July 15 or once 150B tokens are sold.

  • Trading opens 2–3 days after distribution.

  • PUMP’s success now depends on whether it can flip whale sentiment… or if we’re watching a bubble burst in real-time. 

Whales on Hyperliquid are already shorting PUMP, the newly announced token of Pump.fun. Two whales made deposits and opened short positions with limited leverage. 

📊 Market Watch:

After months of being overshadowed by Bitcoin, Ethereum is starting to make a comeback. For a brief moment last week, ETH futures trading volumes surpassed BTC, a rare shift that could be the start of a trend reversal.

Traders took notice.

At its peak, Ethereum futures hit $62.1 billion in daily volume, just ahead of Bitcoin at $61.7 billion. While BTC quickly reclaimed the top spot, ETH’s sudden volume spike signals a growing appetite among investors to rotate back into Ethereum.

And it’s not just futures. Spot markets are heating up too, with $28 billion in daily ETH trading, alongside increasing whale activity, ETF inflows, and corporate treasury buys.

Is this Ethereum's moment?

ETH reclaimed the $2,800 level this week, not exactly a breakout, but a crucial psychological milestone. Analysts say Ethereum still needs stronger momentum to cross $3,000, but the groundwork is being laid:

  • ETH open interest doubled from recent lows to hit $18B, while BTC remained flat at $34B.

  • Grayscale has resumed ETH accumulation, signaling institutional confidence.

  • Mega-whales holding over 10,000 ETH have quietly added more than 41M ETH to their wallets.

  • Over 30% of ETH supply is now staked in the Beacon Chain.

All of this points to one thing: buying pressure is returning.

Why this matters

If Ethereum sustains this shift, it could:

  • Regain value lost against BTC this year (down 29% YTD).

  • Kickstart an altcoin rally, just like in previous ETH-led seasons.

  • Reassert its dominance in DeFi and stablecoins, where it still leads despite losing hype to newer chains.

Ethereum's narrative is shifting again: from “left behind” to core infrastructure of Web3. And that could be enough to flip sentiment for the second half of 2025.

Snoop Dogg’s Telegram NFT collection sold out in 30 minutes generating $12 million sales. Nearly 1 million unique NFTs launched across five different collectible categories.

🏛️ Regulation Watch

Commissioner Hester Peirce, often referred to as “Crypto Mom” for her open-minded stance on blockchain innovation, just issued a statement addressing the rise of tokenized securities — stocks and other traditional assets issued and traded on blockchains.

While her words don’t represent official SEC policy, they do reflect the views of one of the most influential voices inside the agency.

Tokenization isn’t a shortcut to avoid securities law

Commissioner Peirce acknowledged that blockchain tech has real potential to modernize how securities are issued and traded. It can:

  • Make capital formation faster and more accessible

  • Let investors use their tokenized assets as collateral

  • Increase transparency and automation in settlements

But she drew a clear line: putting a security on-chain doesn’t make it stop being a security.

In other words, tokenized stocks or bonds still need to follow the same rules as their paper-based or digital equivalents.

A reminder for tokenization startups

Peirce called on companies to:

  • Understand whether their token represents a security

  • Disclose appropriately under U.S. securities laws

  • Engage with the SEC early to clarify legal obligations

Depending on how it's structured, a tokenized asset might be considered:

  • A receipt for a security

  • Or a security-based swap — which brings strict rules and may block retail trading

That means not every token can legally trade on open markets, especially those tied to traditional financial products.

Still open to innovation

Despite the caution, Peirce left the door open. She encouraged projects to work with the SEC to seek exemptions or modernize outdated rules. Her message: tokenization is promising, but innovation must come with compliance.

Why now?

The timing of this statement isn’t random. Platforms like Robinhood have started pushing tokenized offerings in Europe including shares tied to OpenAI and SpaceX — giving retail investors early exposure to pre-IPO startups.

With these moves gaining steam overseas, U.S. platforms are asking the SEC to catch up before innovation leaves the country behind.

Peirce’s statement shows that Washington is listening and slowly preparing to shape policy for the next wave of tokenized finance.

Truth Social, the social media platform founded by US President Donald Trump, announced on Thursday that it is launching a utility token for its new Patriot Package loyalty rewards program.

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10th July

On July 10, 1976, Whitfield Diffie and Martin Hellman published their landmark paper on the Diffie–Hellman key exchange, revolutionizing modern cryptography by enabling secure communication over insecure channels .

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