Hey there, meme coin enthusiasts! If you’ve been scrolling through X lately, you might have stumbled upon a fiery post from Udi Wertheimer, a well-known figure in the crypto world. Posted just hours ago at 01:40 UTC on July 28, 2025, this thread (check it out here) dives deep into why he thinks the crypto community is unfairly criticizing Pump.fun, the platform that’s been shaking up the meme coin game. Let’s break it down and see what’s got him so riled up!

Why the Hate for Pump.fun?

Udi starts by calling out the naysayers, suggesting that most of the criticism—think bundled scams, Alon’s shaky live interviews, or claims of extraction—misses the bigger picture. He argues that Pump.fun isn’t just another launchpad; it’s a game-changer that’s transformed how meme coins are born and traded. For those new to this, meme coins are cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin or Shiba Inu, often created for fun or hype rather than serious utility, and they thrive on community buzz.

Before Pump.fun hit the scene, Udi paints a grim picture: the market was dominated by “serial ruggers” (people who launch coins and then abandon them after a quick profit) and presale metas favoring big influencers. Sound familiar? It’s like the Wild West of crypto, where only the connected could cash in. Pump.fun, launched in January 2024 by Alon Cohen, Dylan Kerler, and Noah Tweedale, flipped the script by making it easy for anyone to create and trade meme coins instantly, no liquidity seeding required. You can learn more about how it works over at pump.fun.

A Fairer Casino?

Yes, Udi admits, it’s still a “casino” where most lose money. But he insists it’s a more fair one. By lowering the barrier to entry, Pump.fun onboarded a ton of new players and scaled the meme coin frenzy like never before. He credits the team with spotting a broken trend—hype-driven coins—and turning it into a 100x better system that became the meta (the dominant strategy) of this crypto cycle. That’s a big deal! It’s not easy to spot potential, fix the flaws, and get people to adopt it, and Udi argues few teams in crypto have pulled this off.

Take coins like PEPE or WIF, which launched before Pump.fun and hit billions in value. Udi’s point? Pump.fun leveled the playing field, even if the standout success (like Fartcoin) is rare. Some disagree—₿en Morrison in the thread argues things weren’t worse pre-Pump.fun—but Udi’s zoom-out perspective focuses on the platform’s impact over individual coin wins.

The $2.5B Valuation Debate

Here’s where it gets spicy. Udi defends Pump.fun’s $2.5 billion valuation, calling it reasonable for a team of this caliber. He compares it to Cursor, a coding tool that forked an open-source editor, added a ChatGPT wrapper, and rode a vibe to a $10B valuation with 1 million users. Pump.fun, he says, created a whole new meme coin trend—doesn’t that deserve similar respect? Of course, he’s quick to note: if you’re flipping the stock in three hours, this logic won’t apply. This is a long-game bet on a team that’s proven itself.

Not everyone’s buying it. hendrix.hl suggests Udi’s just underwater on the initial coin offering (ICO) and hunting for an exit, while Cactus 🌵 calls it a scammer defending scammers. Ouch! Others, like 0xNLY.arf, liken it to overpaying an aging athlete past their prime, hinting the meme coin wave might be fading.

Udi’s Bitcoin Focus and Final Thoughts

Interestingly, Udi clarifies he’s not even long on Pump.fun—he’s all about Bitcoin and Taproot Wizards these days and doesn’t want to obsess over daily price checks like “degenerates” (his playful jab at traders). Yet, he felt compelled to speak up, urging the community to give Pump.fun its due. Whether you agree or not, his take sparks a juicy debate about innovation, valuation, and the future of meme coins.

What Do You Think?

So, is Pump.fun a revolutionary platform or a overhyped bubble? Udi’s thread ties into a bigger conversation about how we value impact in crypto. Check out Meme Insider for more on meme token trends, and let us know your thoughts in the comments! Are you team Pump.fun or team skeptic?