Introduction
Pump.fun has become the degen playground. Thousands of new meme coins launch daily, and snipers are fighting to get in first. But most people are getting wrecked.
Why? They don’t understand how Pump.fun actually works, or how to configure their bots correctly.
This guide will teach you everything you need to know about Pump.fun sniping, auto-buy bots, and how to not become exit liquidity.
How Pump.fun Works (Short Overview)
Understanding the mechanics is essential.
Bonding Curve Basics
What It Is:
- A mathematical curve that determines price
- Price increases as more tokens are bought
- Price decreases as tokens are sold
- Creates automatic market making
How It Works:
- Start: Low price, low liquidity
- As people buy: Price goes up along curve
- As people sell: Price goes down along curve
- Migration: When threshold reached, migrates to Raydium
The Math (Simplified):
- Early buys = cheaper price
- Later buys = higher price
- Curve shape determines rate of change
Migration to Raydium / Main DEX
The Threshold:
- When bonding curve reaches certain point
- Usually around $85k-$90k market cap
- Automatically migrates to Raydium
- Creates permanent liquidity pool
What Happens:
- Token becomes tradeable on Raydium
- More liquidity available
- Different trading dynamics
- Can still pump or dump
Why It Matters:
- Snipers try to get in before migration
- Migration can cause volatility
- Understanding timing is crucial
Why It Attracts Snipers
The Appeal:
- New launches constantly
- Early entry = lower price
- Potential for quick pumps
- High risk, high reward
The Reality:
- Most tokens fail immediately
- Rug pulls are common
- Competition is fierce
- Most snipers lose money
What a Pump.fun Sniper Bot Actually Does
Let’s break down what these bots actually do.
Monitoring New Launches
The Process:
- Bot watches Pump.fun for new tokens
- Detects launches in real-time
- Filters based on criteria
- Alerts or auto-buys
What They Monitor:
- New token creation
- Initial liquidity adds
- First trades
- Social signals (sometimes)
Placing Buys at Specific Curve Points
The Strategy:
- Enter at specific % of curve
- Early = cheaper but riskier
- Later = more expensive but safer
- Balance risk/reward
Example:
- Enter at 5% of curve = very early, very risky
- Enter at 50% of curve = mid-point, balanced
- Enter at 90% of curve = near migration, less risky
Trying to Get In Before Migration / Before Socials
The Race:
- Get in before migration (lower price)
- Get in before social media hype
- Get in before others notice
- Speed is everything
The Reality:
- Bots are faster than humans
- But other bots are also fast
- Being first doesn’t guarantee profit
- Still need good token selection
Auto-Buy Bots on Pump.fun
Auto-buy bots are different from snipers. Here’s how.
Difference Between One-Time Snipe vs Continuous Auto-Buy
One-Time Snipe:
- Bot buys once at launch
- Holds or sells based on strategy
- Single entry point
- Simpler, less risky
Continuous Auto-Buy:
- Bot buys multiple times over curve
- DCA (Dollar Cost Average) approach
- Multiple entry points
- More complex, higher risk
Risks of DCA-ing into Pure Rugs
The Problem:
- Auto-buy keeps buying as curve moves
- If token is a rug, you keep buying
- Losses compound
- Can’t stop in time
The Reality:
- Most tokens are rugs
- Auto-buy = guaranteed loss on rugs
- Need safety checks
- Or accept high risk
The Fix:
- Only auto-buy with safety checks
- Set maximum entries
- Set stop losses
- Monitor closely
Understanding the Bonding Curve for Strategy
The curve is your friend—if you understand it.
Visual Explanation: Early vs Mid vs Late
Early Curve (0-30%):
- Lowest price
- Highest risk
- Most volatile
- Rug pull risk highest
Mid Curve (30-70%):
- Moderate price
- Moderate risk
- Some stability
- Better entry point for most
Late Curve (70-100%):
- Higher price
- Lower risk
- Near migration
- More predictable
Risk/Reward Trade-Offs at Each Stage
Early Entry:
- Reward: Lowest price, maximum upside
- Risk: Highest rug risk, most volatile
- Best For: High-risk traders, small positions
Mid Entry:
- Reward: Balanced price, good upside
- Risk: Moderate risk, some stability
- Best For: Most traders, standard approach
Late Entry:
- Reward: Higher price, less upside
- Risk: Lower risk, more predictable
- Best For: Risk-averse traders, larger positions
Key Settings for Pump.fun Bots
Here are the critical settings to understand.
Slippage
Why It Matters:
- Curve moves fast
- Price changes between order and execution
- Need adequate slippage
- But not too high (MEV risk)
Recommendations:
- Early curve: 10-15% (high volatility)
- Mid curve: 5-10% (moderate)
- Late curve: 3-5% (more stable)
Max Buy
What It Does:
- Limits maximum purchase size
- Prevents overexposure
- Risk management tool
How to Set:
- Based on total capital
- Never more than 5-10% per token
- Start smaller, scale up
- Adjust based on results
Max Entries
What It Does:
- Limits number of auto-buy entries
- Prevents infinite DCA into rugs
- Risk management
Recommendations:
- For auto-buy: 3-5 entries max
- Space them out (e.g., every 10% of curve)
- Don’t keep buying forever
Curve Target
What It Means:
- Enter at specific % of curve
- “Start at 20%” = enter when curve is 20% complete
- Earlier = riskier but cheaper
How to Use:
- Conservative: 50-70% of curve
- Standard: 30-50% of curve
- Aggressive: 10-30% of curve
Auto-Sell Triggers (If Supported)
What They Do:
- Automatically sell at targets
- Take profits automatically
- Reduce manual monitoring
How to Set:
- Target 1: 2x (take 30%)
- Target 2: 5x (take 40%)
- Target 3: 10x (take remaining)
- Adjust based on strategy
Example Strategies (Conservative / Normal / YOLO)
Here are three example strategies. These are examples, not advice.
Conservative Strategy
Settings:
- Curve entry: 60-80%
- Slippage: 5%
- Max buy: 1-2 SOL
- Max entries: 1 (one-time)
- Safety checks: All enabled
Best For:
- Risk-averse traders
- Learning phase
- Established tokens only
- When you want to survive
Expected Results:
- Lower risk
- Lower reward
- More consistent
- Slower execution
Normal Strategy
Settings:
- Curve entry: 30-50%
- Slippage: 8%
- Max buy: 3-5 SOL
- Max entries: 2-3
- Safety checks: Most enabled
Best For:
- Most traders
- Regular Pump.fun trading
- Balanced approach
- Standard use
Expected Results:
- Balanced risk/reward
- Good execution rate
- Reasonable profits
- Moderate risk
YOLO Strategy (Experienced Only)
Settings:
- Curve entry: 5-20%
- Slippage: 15%
- Max buy: 5-10 SOL
- Max entries: 1 (all-in early)
- Safety checks: Minimal
Best For:
- Experienced traders only
- High-risk, high-reward
- When you accept total loss risk
- Not for beginners
Expected Results:
- High risk
- High reward potential
- Many failures
- Few big wins
Warning: Only use if you can afford total loss.
Combining Pump.fun Signals with Wallet Tracking
Don’t snipe blindly. Use signals.
Identifying Dev and Early Buyers
What to Check:
- Who created the token?
- Who bought first?
- Are they known builders?
- Wallet history?
Tools:
- GMGN wallet tracking
- Solscan transaction history
- Wallet analysis tools
How to Use:
- Check dev wallet history
- See if they have track record
- Avoid anonymous/new wallets
- Follow known good builders
Checking if Known “Good Wallets” Are Entering
The Strategy:
- Monitor smart money wallets
- See if they’re buying
- Use as signal
- Don’t blindly copy
Tools:
- Wallet trackers
- GMGN smart money feed
- Custom alerts
The Process:
- See wallet buy on Pump.fun token
- Research the token
- Check safety
- Decide if you want to follow
Important: Don’t blindly copy. Use as one signal among many.
Risk Management for Pump.fun Degens
Pump.fun requires strict risk management.
Hard Rules
Max Daily Loss:
- Set absolute limit (e.g., 5 SOL)
- Stop trading when reached
- Don’t revenge trade
- Protect capital
Max Per-Coin Budget:
- Never risk more than X per token
- Even on “sure thing”
- Stick to limits
- Discipline matters
Hard Stop Rules:
- After X consecutive losses, stop
- After X rugs, take break
- After X hours, reassess
- Walk away when needed
Encourage Hard Stop Rules
The Problem:
- Degens don’t know when to stop
- Keep trading to “make it back”
- Lose everything
- Tilt trading
The Solution:
- Set hard rules before trading
- Stick to them
- No exceptions
- Walk away when triggered
Examples:
- 3 consecutive losses = stop for 1 hour
- 5 rugs in a day = stop for the day
- Down 10 SOL = stop for the day
- No exceptions
Common Pump.fun Bot Traps
Here are the classic mistakes.
Joining Too Late on Curve
The Error:
- Enter at 90% of curve
- Price already pumped
- Little upside left
- High risk, low reward
The Fix:
- Enter earlier (if you accept risk)
- Or skip if too late
- Don’t FOMO into late entries
- Better to miss than lose
Overfitting to Yesterday’s Pattern
The Error:
- Yesterday’s strategy worked
- Use same today
- Market changed
- Strategy fails
The Fix:
- Markets evolve
- Don’t overfit
- Stay flexible
- Adapt to conditions
Ignoring Rugs Because “Bot Is Running”
The Error:
- Bot auto-buying
- Token rugs
- Bot keeps buying
- Losses compound
The Fix:
- Monitor bot activity
- Set safety checks
- Manual override available
- Don’t set and forget
Summary – Pump.fun Is a Game, Treat It as One
Here’s the reality check.
Recap Main Tips
- Understand the curve - Know where you’re entering
- Use safety checks - Don’t snipe blindly
- Manage risk - Set limits and stick to them
- Combine signals - Don’t rely on one thing
- Accept losses - Most trades will fail
Emphasize Survivability Over Brag Screenshots
The Trap:
- Everyone posts wins
- No one posts losses
- FOMO from screenshots
- Chasing others’ success
The Reality:
- Most lose money
- Few make consistent profits
- Survivability > screenshots
- Focus on process
The Fix:
- Ignore screenshots
- Focus on your process
- Track your results
- Improve over time
Remember:
- Pump.fun is a game
- Most players lose
- Survivability is winning
- Process > outcomes
For more on building a complete trading strategy, check out our guide on Building Your Solana Meme Trading Stack.
Disclaimer: This is not financial advice. Pump.fun trading is extremely risky. Most tokens fail immediately. Only risk what you can afford to lose. Always do your own research. See our full Risk Disclaimer.
