Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of <a href="https://www.cryptoknowmics.com/news/solana-etfs-embrace-staking-feature-as-sec-decision-looms/">Solana</a> (SOL) Labs, has made a bold prediction regarding the future of social media, suggesting that the Solana-based meme coin launchpad, Pump.fun (PUMP), could emerge as a serious rival to the global video content giant, TikTok. This forecast comes as Pump.fun continues its rapid adoption by integrating crypto-native features that revolutionize content monetization.

Yakovenko shared his views on X, stating, <b>"The next social network war is going to be TikTok vs Pump."</b> He argues that Pump.fun’s decentralized model offers a distinct advantage by directly tying creation and community engagement to financial incentives.
<h2>Decentralized Monetization vs. Centralized Ads</h2>
[embed]https://twitter.com/aeyakovenko/status/1972873676552073619[/embed]

The core of Yakovenko's argument lies in Pump.fun’s integration of crypto-native features, such as meme coins, ownership rewards, and direct creator fees. Unlike traditional platforms like TikTok, where advertising revenue primarily flows to the platform, Pump.fun allows creators and their communities to immediately monetize their content and participate in the ecosystem's success through token ownership.

This model of built-in monetization could give Pump.fun the leverage needed to compete with centralized platforms, despite TikTok’s current dominance with over 1.5 billion global users. The recent move by crypto-focused media brand Unchained to launch a streaming presence and a branded meme coin on Pump.fun—collecting a standard creator fee—highlights the platform's strategic use of crypto-native distribution for social media.
<h3>Growth Despite Criticism</h3>
The Solana-based meme coin factory has seen massive growth and community traction, evidenced by the PUMP token's value jumping 58.69% in the last 30 days.

This growth has continued despite past controversy, including criticism from Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin, who claimed the project did not prioritize ethics. Nevertheless, the platform’s momentum and the confidence shown by a major industry leader like Yakovenko underscore the potential for decentralized applications to disrupt the established social media hierarchy.

Solana Co-Founder Predicts Pump.fun Will Be TikTok's Major Social Rival

Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko predicts Pump.fun will challenge TikTok, citing its decentralized, crypto-native monetization model.

Solana Co-Founder Predicts Pump.fun Will Be TikTok's Major Social Rival

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