Pump.fun fires staff before PUMP token payouts

Pump.fun dismissed an undisclosed number of employees in April, roughly two months before the company’s PUMP token vesting schedule would have started releasing allocations in June 2026.

Documents show contracts signed in 2025 that specified a quarter of each employee’s allocated tokens would unlock after one year, triggering the first distribution in mid-2026. Under those terms, at least one former worker was slated to receive PUMP tokens valued in the seven-figure range.

Co-founder Noah Tweedale wrote that the company “grew too quickly” and that layoffs were carried out in April. Pump.fun has not disclosed the number of employees affected, the total dollar value of canceled or deferred token allocations, or whether severance or alternate compensation was offered.

At publication, PUMP traded at about $0.002113, up roughly 7.5% over the prior 24 hours. The potential dollar value of scheduled allocations has attracted attention because of the size of some individual packages tied to the vesting timeline.

Pump.fun has previously faced legal actions alleging operation of a rigged machine for investors and disputes related to maximal extractable value practices. The company provided no additional comment and has not published details on how terminations affect previously agreed token allocations.

The identities of affected employees remain undisclosed. Documents outline the vesting schedule and timing, but company confirmation of precise terms and any adjustments after the April firings was limited.