Pump Fun let go of more than 40 staff members just days before their tokens were set to vest, blocking them from potential seven-figure gains. An internal recording from March revealed co-founder Noah Tweedale blaming rapid growth for the layoffs, saying the company couldn’t move “fast and rough” with the larger team.
Several employees signed token agreements in June 2025, which would have unlocked a quarter of their Pump Fun tokens two months later. Yet layoffs in April derailed those plans, leaving former staff without access to their earnings. One outspoken former employee described the dismissals as treating workers “like cattle” and confirmed their termination happened a day before their tokens vested.
Beyond the staff shake-up, Pump Fun’s UK parent, Baton Corporation, has missed its regulatory deadlines. Its financial accounts for the period ending September 30, 2025, are overdue by at least a month, potentially exposing the company to fines up to £1,500 ($2,020). While this penalty is minor compared to Pump Fun’s billion-dollar cumulative revenue, its PUMP token has plummeted nearly 76% from its peak last September.
The sharp drop in token value and delayed filings come amid a wave of layoffs across the crypto industry, although Pump Fun cites overexpansion rather than market conditions or AI integration behind its cuts. Unfortunately, those staff affected face the loss of significant token rewards amid an already volatile market.
This content is for informational purposes and not financial advice.
