Anatoly Yakovenko, cofounder of Solana Labs, says the next big social media battle could be between TikTok and Pump.Fun (PUMP). His comment came after journalist Laura Shin highlighted the crypto-driven platform on X.
Yakovenko sees Pump.Fun’s unique mix of crypto-native tools, like memecoin integrations, direct creator rewards, and decentralized ownership, as a fresh model for online communities. Unlike TikTok’s ad-driven, centralized structure, Pump.Fun channels value straight back to creators and users. In his words: “The next social network war is going to be TikTok vs Pump.”
Pump.Fun’s Edge in the Social Media Race
Anatoly Yakovenko believes Pump.Fun’s built-in monetization system, where creators benefit from tokens and community engagement, could position it as a strong competitor to TikTok. While TikTok commands more than 1.5 billion global users, Yakovenko argues that decentralized platforms like Pump.Fun can stand out by embedding crypto-native distribution models.
As Laura Shin noted, Unchained’s launch on Pump.Fun highlights this shift. The media brand not only streams episodes on the platform but has also introduced its own meme coin, with trading options for users and a standard 1% creator fee going back to Unchained. Described as a bold experiment in crypto media, the initiative reflects optimism about new ways for creators and audiences to interact. Whether this experiment sets a trend for the broader industry remains to be seen, but Yakovenko’s outlook suggests fertile ground for growth.
