If you've spent any time in Solana's memecoin world, you've probably seen tokens go from zero to 50x in minutes — and wondered how people keep getting in so early. The answer, more often than not, is sniping.
Sniping means buying a token as soon as it launches (or as close to launch as possible) to take advantage of early price action on the bonding curve. It's one of the most popular strategies on Pump.fun, and while it sounds simple, there's more to it than just being fast.
This guide breaks it all down for beginners — no prior experience needed.
What Is Pump.fun and How Does It Work?
Pump.fun is a token launchpad on Solana where anyone can create a memecoin in under a minute. No coding required. You pick a name, upload an image, pay a small fee in SOL, and your token goes live.
Every new token starts on a bonding curve — a pricing model where the price automatically increases as more people buy. Think of it like a line at a store: the earlier you are, the cheaper your ticket.
Here's the lifecycle of a Pump.fun token:
- Token launches on the bonding curve — price starts very low
- Buyers push the price up as they purchase tokens along the curve
- At ~$69K market cap, the token "graduates" and migrates to PumpSwap
- On PumpSwap, it trades like any normal token on a DEX
The key insight: roughly only 1% of tokens ever graduate. Most die within minutes or hours. That's the risk you're taking.
What Is PumpSwap?
In March 2025, Pump.fun launched its own DEX called PumpSwap, replacing the old migration to Raydium. This was a big deal because:
- Migration is now instant and free (used to cost 6 SOL and had delays)
- Liquidity stays within the Pump.fun ecosystem
- Trading fees are just 0.25% on PumpSwap (down from 1% on the bonding curve)
- Token creators earn a share of trading fees — aligning incentives
When a token graduates, it automatically gets a liquidity pool on PumpSwap. No manual steps needed.
Why Sniping Matters
The biggest gains on Pump.fun happen in the first few seconds to minutes after launch. Here's why:
- Bonding curve pricing means the earliest buyers get the lowest prices — sometimes 10-100x cheaper than buyers arriving just minutes later
- Migration creates a surge — when a token hits PumpSwap, attention spikes and price often pumps
- Speed is the edge — if you buy at the bottom of the curve and the token graduates, you're sitting on massive unrealized gains before most people even notice the token exists
The flip side: most tokens never graduate. You'll lose money on the majority of snipes. The strategy only works when your winners are big enough to cover your losses.
How to Snipe on Pump.fun: Step by Step
Step 1: Set Up Your Wallet
You need a Solana wallet with SOL in it. Phantom or Solflare are the most popular choices. Fund it with enough SOL for multiple small trades — never put all your funds into one snipe.
Step 2: Choose Your Sniping Tool
You can snipe manually on Pump.fun's website, but most successful snipers use a trading bot for speed. Popular options include:
| Tool | Type | Key Sniping Feature |
|---|
| BullX NEO | Web + Telegram | Pump Vision with chart previews, smart sniper detection |
| Trojan Bot | Telegram | Fast execution, popular among Solana traders |
| Axiom | Web app | Clean interface, built-in token analysis |
| Photon | Web app | Speed-focused, popular for sniping |
| Banana Gun | Telegram + Web | Trenches feed, multi-wallet sniping |
Each of these tools connects to the Solana blockchain and can execute buy orders faster than you could manually. We review all of them on MadeOnSol.com.
Step 3: Find Tokens to Snipe
There are two main approaches:
Approach A: Watch the feed
Most trading bots have a live feed of new Pump.fun launches. BullX NEO calls this "Pump Vision" — it shows new tokens appearing in real-time with chart previews and basic safety info. You pick ones that look promising and buy quickly.
Approach B: Follow the developer
If you know a developer is about to launch (from a Telegram group or announcement), you can pre-load their wallet address into a sniping bot. The bot will automatically buy the moment their token goes live.
Step 4: Evaluate Before You Buy
Even in fast-moving markets, take 5 seconds to check:
- Social links — Does the token have a Twitter/Telegram? No socials = higher rug risk
- Top holders — Are the top 10 wallets holding more than 30% of supply? That's a red flag
- Developer wallet — Has this wallet launched tokens before? What happened to them?
- Bonding curve progress — How far along is it? Buying at 80% bonded is very different from buying at 5%
Step 5: Set Your Exit Strategy BEFORE You Buy
This is where most beginners fail. Before you enter any trade, decide:
- Take profit target — At what multiple will you sell? (e.g., 2x, 5x, 10x)
- Stop loss — How much are you willing to lose? (e.g., sell if it drops 50%)
- Partial sells — Consider selling a portion at each milestone instead of waiting for "the top"
Most trading bots let you set automatic take-profit and stop-loss orders. Use them.
Safety Tips for Beginners
Start small. Use tiny amounts of SOL per snipe (0.01-0.05 SOL) until you understand the rhythm. You will lose money learning — keep the tuition fees low.
Never invest more than you can afford to lose. This is not a figure of speech. Most Pump.fun tokens go to zero. Treat every snipe as money you might never see again.
Watch out for rug pulls. A rug pull is when the creator dumps their tokens on buyers and disappears. Warning signs include: concentrated token holdings, no social links, copy-pasted token names, and newly created developer wallets.
Use built-in security features. Tools like BullX NEO and Axiom have real-time security audits that flag suspicious contracts. Pay attention to these warnings.
Don't chase. If a token has already pumped 10x and you missed it, let it go. FOMO trades are how most people lose money. There will always be another launch.
Secure your wallet. Download your private keys immediately after creating a trading bot wallet. Store them somewhere safe offline. If you lose access to your keys, you lose your funds permanently.
Common Mistakes Beginners Make
- Going all-in on one token — Spread your risk across multiple small snipes
- No exit strategy — Watching a 10x turn into a -90% because you didn't set a sell target
- Ignoring red flags — Buying tokens with no socials, suspicious holders, or known scam patterns
- Using too much slippage — High slippage means you pay more than expected. Start with 10-15% and adjust
- Not accounting for fees — Trading fees, priority fees, and gas add up fast on high-frequency trades
- Sniping every single token — Quality over quantity. Be selective or you'll bleed SOL slowly
The Honest Truth About Sniping
Sniping on Pump.fun can be profitable, but the success rate is brutal. Even experienced snipers expect to lose money on 70-80% of their trades. The strategy works because the winners (10x, 50x, or more) outweigh the many small losses.
If you're a beginner, focus on learning first and making money second. Paper trade (watch without buying) for a few days. Study which tokens graduate and which don't. Build your instincts before you risk real money.
And remember: nobody posts their losses on Twitter. The 100x screenshots you see are survivorship bias. For every one of those, there are hundreds of people who lost money on the same platform.
Tools Mentioned in This Guide
All of these tools are reviewed with honest pros, cons, and health monitoring on MadeOnSol:
Disclaimer: This guide is for educational purposes only. Trading memecoins is extremely risky, and you should never invest money you can't afford to lose. MadeOnSol does not provide financial advice. Always do your own research.
