POPE Token on Solana: Hype, Rug Pull Allegations, and High Risk on the SOL Chain

Hey there, fellow meme coin enthusiasts and blockchain explorers! Today, we're diving into a token that grabbed headlines recently: the POPE token on the Solana blockchain. Like many meme coins, its story is a mix of rapid hype, wild speculation, and some serious controversy.

The POPE token (symbol: POPE, address: 3j11JP4ijPYwN3A22Njj2ssbS4fCWtJteMAaBJNxpump) is a meme coin living on the Solana network. Its theme seems inspired by religious figures, specifically referencing the papacy or related speculation, as seen in memes depicting Donald Trump dressed as the Pope or speculation around Cardinal Pietro Parolin as a potential successor to the Pope. It's super important to know that this token has zero official connection to Donald Trump or the Catholic Church, despite some controversial claims made on its website about giving a chunk of tokens to the Church (with no evidence to back that up).

What Went Down with POPE?

The POPE token popped up recently, specifically gaining traction in early May 2025. Like many meme coins, it saw a rapid price spike fuelled by social media buzz and speculative trading (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AbF9wXG18BISLC8B-cpwaeClDl_3B1KLhciMrbHK04SCfswGzLwPSZX-gra1lvmCSvVbiCEPMCHybwjCShhocJe_Yhf-nyauLKw9I9iJwpjJVs1sZSBmhDZbLZZ8g7oBvOg7G8LLMEiXU1js4CngIAuq0fZYeFG2JaHDc0JysNx4-5n8KrZnTjLb). Some reports even linked its surge to speculation around the succession of the late Pope Francis, with betting markets like Polymarket seeing activity related to potential successors.

However, the excitement quickly turned sour. Just hours after its launch, allegations surfaced that the token's developers had pulled nearly $1 million worth of funds from the project, leading to a massive price crash. This is widely described as a "textbook example of a rug pull" (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AbF9wXG18BISLC8B-cpwaeClDl_3B1KLhciMrbHK04SCfswGzLwPSZX-gra1lvmCSvVbiCEPMCHybwjCShhocJe_Yhf-nyauLKw9I9iJwpjJVs1sZSBmhDZbLZZ8g7oBvOg7G8LLMEiXU1js4CngIAuq0fZYeFG2JaHDc0JysNx4-5n8KrZnTjLb).

On-chain analysis seemed to back up concerns about foul play. Data suggested the development team created a new wallet, used a significant amount of stablecoin ($100,000 in USDC) to buy a large chunk of POPE right after launch, and then quickly sold off a portion for hundreds of thousands of dollars within a couple of hours (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AbF9wXE6FfORirXPxw5WFqzBB6ZREMrcnDYQ3GImFDTup1aKaIUaKtnP0OM3rCVQcF-mrn08dl9d-uHNMxJW1UIDyM11iNZ513V6sijIpeBNtXsi3ArokbbfDbkmAaToJ8ukYlH-bbrOvI4joJGpwoCFZKxwNcEJcU2v-fxq9qXnIQmjfOgdDZUqK2YIDnCtn6nolS8urE5j0AitUDlh_ff5fqySk9KysfbamGEsgbOslQ==). This raises major flags about potential insider trading and market manipulation. The rapid crash caused significant losses for some traders, with one reportedly losing a whopping $111,000 in just five minutes (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AbF9wXFTmVtQYf8QbG7r9yx9pbiJVf3at1g5ijDwiGpoZ7SkpW4uNcz_UBBeoPTk1_wXzVRANNy7odkdwD-N_EN8J9JnAnmKD_-yjFbImXuH5XOmAoHqINxmHeF2B0Zr8VWDSRu4gu1X3Q2Dh-myBLfBhDFjN-Mqk97bPoSByFKHyBWGj7fFWw==).

Despite the red flags, the token was quickly listed on exchanges like Gate.io and MEXC, which likely contributed to its initial pump. However, CoinGecko has since removed data for this token from its platform (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AbF9wXH57pHFMjRRnW-1vyLWb5UcCadJ-C44YJc3SqFs8slnUg-YjA5d0fl9Je_xBDcNWZarxw_h3aDttBWbK8ncVuMZw2n3QvxFRf7wTlcMN3YAvgiDRcktsQ3iz8dvylES9-HnbYP2IPs-xSsGKIlxHgzPe6yUbZ5E).

Market Snapshot (as of early May 2025)

Getting a clear picture of POPE's market data is tricky, especially since there might be other tokens with similar names. Based on available data:

Current Price: Around $0.05148 USD as of May 8, 2025 (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AbF9wXE2Mw6DZCQI2Mbh3NJKxbn8xer4_ZXgb1YbH0pJE194l8AcebJkB4vRzQyX8XEl7A95_kstGOVlypMqqpcL5X4lNGkSypdv8_v6pqXvzAHZw7osqQzhFFvp_Ebeh2EbItSBIOwzhwxLcWvIn51VvBj_fCz4MhU3xq6_Wm-iYpDkkx_iANGciYdh).
Market Cap: Reported around $4.04K as of May 8, 2025 (https://vertexaisearch.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AbF9wXE2Mw6DZCQI2Mbh3NJKxbn8xer4_ZXgb1YbH0pJE194l8AcebJkB4vRzQyX8XEl7A95_kstGOVlypMqqpcL5X4lNGkSypdv8_v6pqXvzAHZw7osqQzhFFvp_Ebeh2EbItSBIOwzhwxLcWvIn51VvBj_fCz4MhU3xq6_Wm-iYpDkkx_iANGciYdh). Note: This is vastly different from earlier reports of market caps reaching $100M - $400M+ during its peak hype (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AbF9wXG18BISLC8B-cpwaeClDl_3B1KLhciMrbHK04SCfswGzLwPSZX-gra1lvmCSvVbiCEPMCHybwjCShhocJe_Yhf-nyauLKw9I9iJwpjJVs1sZSBmhDZbLZZ8g7oBvOg7G8LLMEiXU1js4CngIAuq0fZYeFG2JaHDc0JysNx4-5n8KrZnTjLb), highlighting the extreme volatility and potential for rapid value destruction.
Circulating Supply: Around 999.57 million or 10 billion tokens reported (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AbF9wXE2Mw6DZCQI2Mbh3NJKxbn8xer4_ZXgb1YbH0pJE194l8AcebJkB4vRzQyX8XEl7A95_kstGOVlypMqqpcL5X4lNGkSypdv8_v6pqXvzAHZw7osqQzhFFvp_Ebeh2EbItSBIOwzhwxLcWvIn51VvBj_fCz4MhU3xq6_Wm-iYpDkkx_iANGciYdh).
Max Supply: Reports suggest no defined maximum supply for this or similar POPE tokens (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AbF9wXE2Mw6DZCQI2Mbh3NJKxbn8xer4_ZXgb1YbH0pJE194l8AcebJkB4vRzQyX8XEl7A95_kstGOVlypMqqpcL5X4lNGkSypdv8_v6pqXvzAHZw7osqQzhFFvp_Ebeh2EbItSBIOwzhwxLcWvIn51VvBj_fCz4MhU3xq6_Wm-iYpDkkx_iANGciYdh). This means new tokens could theoretically be created, potentially causing inflation.
Holders: One report listed only 3 holders as of May 7, 2025 (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AbF9wXE2Mw6DZCQI2Mbh3NJKxbn8xer4_ZXgb1YbH0pJE194l8AcebJkB4vRzQyX8XEl7A95_kstGOVlypMqqpcL5X4lNGkSypdv8_v6pqXvzAHZw7osqQzhFFvp_Ebeh2EbItSBIOwzhwxLcWvIn51VvBj_fCz4MhU3xq6_Wm-iYpDkkx_iANGciYdh) – this is an extremely low number and should be viewed with skepticism or verified with blockchain explorers like Solscan or SolanaFM using the correct address. Other POPE variants have reported thousands of holders during peak times.
Trading Volume: Relatively low daily volume reported ($418.29 as of May 8, 2025) (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AbF9wXE2Mw6DZCQI2Mbh3NJKxbn8xer4_ZXgb1YbH0pJE194l8AcebJkB4vRzQyX8XEl7A95_kstGOVlypMqqpcL5X4lNGkSypdv8_v6pqXvzAHZw7osqQzhFFvp_Ebeh2EbItSBIOwzhwxLcWvIn51VvBj_fCz4MhU3xq6_Wm-iYpDkkx_iANGciYdh), but can spike dramatically during hype cycles, reaching millions of dollars.

Where Can You Trade (or Track) POPE?

If you're looking to trade or just track POPE, it's primarily found on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) that support Solana Program Library (SPL) tokens, like Raydium (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AbF9wXE2Mw6DZCQI2Mbh3NJKxbn8xer4_ZXgb1YbH0pJE194l8AcebJkB4vRzQyX8XEl7A95_kstGOVlypMqqpcL5X4lNGkSypdv8_v6pqXvzAHZw7osqQzhFFvp_Ebeh2EbItSBIOwzhwxLcWvIn51VvBj_fCz4MhU3xq6_Wm-iYpDkkx_iANGciYdh) and accessed via wallets like Phantom (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AbF9wXE2Mw6DZCQI2Mbh3NJKxbn8xer4_ZXgb1YbH0pJE194l8AcebJkB4vRzQyX8XEl7A95_kstGOVlypMqqpcL5X4lNGkSypdv8_v6pqXvzAHZw7osqQzhFFvp_Ebeh2EbItSBIOwzhwxLcWvIn51VvBj_fCz4MhU3xq6_Wm-iYpDkkx_iANGciYdh). You might also find it on DEX aggregators like Jupiter. Note that the Pope meme is not tradable on Coinbase (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AbF9wXHa6EeYR7w5kgvJ5oHCWp4u1i0hjsZJH4RyJQUZww1ZAplaNPBYhZgw37i7ynXnaq9ASAx5kdyXykUs1_KL9G-Y7JjeuSOvGjZsXPVEXO9jPjp6_rMXw3rKe5tMRsIXiAyaM4PdsZU1R1ukEEDP8Z4).

For real-time data and charts, tools like DEX Screener or DEXTools are useful resources.

A platform specializing in tracking meme tokens is GMGN.AI. It offers features like smart money tracking, real-time analytics, and automated trading across various chains, including Solana. If you're interested in diving deep into POPE's performance and trends, you can check its dedicated page on GMGN.AI here. Just be aware that GMGN.AI charges a 1% transaction fee.

The Big Picture: Risks, Risks, Risks

Let's not sugarcoat it: investing in POPE is considered extremely high-risk (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AbF9wXG18BISLC8B-cpwaeClDl_3B1KLhciMrbHK04SCfswGzLwPSZX-gra1lvmCSvVbiCEPMCHybwjCShhocJe_Yhf-nyauLKw9I9iJwpjJVs1sZSBmhDZbLZZ8g7oBvOg7G8LLMEiXU1js4CngIAuq0fZYeFG2JaHDc0JysNx4-5n8KrZnTjLb). Here's why:

Rug Pull Allegations: The claims of developers withdrawing funds are a massive red flag.
Extreme Volatility: The rapid pump and subsequent crash demonstrate the potential for huge, sudden losses. One report described a "cathedral of a rug pull."
Unverified Status: Wallets like Phantom flag this token as unverified (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AbF9wXE2Mw6DZCQI2Mbh3NJKxbn8xer4_ZXgb1YbH0pJE194l8AcebJkB4vRzQyX8XEl7A95_kstGOVlypMqqpcL5X4lNGkSypdv8_v6pqXvzAHZw7osqQzhFFvp_Ebeh2EbItSBIOwzhwxLcWvIn51VvBj_fCz4MhU3xq6_Wm-iYpDkkx_iANGciYdh), meaning there's limited transparency or security auditing.
No Real Utility: Like many meme coins, its value is based purely on internet virality and speculation, not on a functional product or service (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AbF9wXG18BISLC8B-cpwaeClDl_3B1KLhciMrbHK04SCfswGzLwPSZX-gra1lvmCSvVbiCEPMCHybwjCShhocJe_Yhf-nyauLKw9I9iJwpjJVs1sZSBmhDZbLZZ8g7oBvOg7G8LLMEiXU1js4CngIAuq0fZYeFG2JaHDc0JysNx4-5n8KrZnTjLb).
Centralization Risk: If a small number of wallets hold a large percentage of the supply, it increases the risk of price manipulation.
No Maximum Supply: The potential to create new tokens could devalue existing ones.
Regulatory Uncertainty: Solana tokens, including meme coins, face ongoing scrutiny, which could impact their status.