Trader Kimchi partners with Pump.fun as new token hits 44 million dollar peak
Memecoin trader Clayton Kim, known online as Kimchi, has joined Pump.fun as a creative partner, triggering market volatility and sending a newly linked KIMCHI token to an all-time high valuation of over $44 million.
Solana memecoin platform Pump.fun has brought on trader Clayton Kim, known online as Kimchi, to help shape its creative direction. Pump.fun co-founder Alon welcomed Kim to the team, describing him as a trader who became a celebrity and a pioneer in bridging cryptocurrency and pop culture. According to commentator Advyth, Kim signed the partnership for over $3 million, while Market Insider noted social media speculation projecting the deal could reach eight figures.[1][5][7][6]
Kim gained widespread attention in the memecoin ecosystem after claiming he made around $40 million trading the official TRUMP token following its January 2025 launch, though his exact trading profits remain independently unverified. After building an online persona centered on luxury lifestyle content, his onboarding to Pump.fun immediately spurred a flurry of related token activity.[1][4][5]
Following the partnership reveal and the release of Kim's first vlog, traders rotated out of an older July token into a newly deployed KIMCHI token on Pump.fun. According to accounts from SolanaFloor and DeFi Warhol, the new token peaked at an all-time high market capitalization between $44 million and $44.6 million within 90 minutes. Around 75% of the token supply was reportedly allocated to a wallet tied to Kim, showing tens of millions of dollars in unrealized portfolio value, even as on-chain investigators raised questions regarding launch activity and liquidity concentration.[1][2][3][4][5]
Key facts
- Pump.fun signed trader Clayton Kim, known as Kimchi, as a creative partner to help shape the platform's creative direction.
- Commentator Advyth reported the partnership deal was worth over $3 million, while Market Insider noted social media speculation estimated it in the eight figures.
- Kim claimed to have made roughly $40 million trading the TRUMP memecoin, although those profits remain independently unverified.
- A new KIMCHI token linked to Kim reached a peak market capitalization of roughly $44 million to $44.6 million shortly after launch.
- Approximately 75% of the new KIMCHI token supply was held by or sent to a wallet linked to Kim.
- On-chain investigators flagged suspicious activity surrounding the KIMCHI token launch amid steep drops in earlier Kimchi-related tokens.
Sources · 6 sources
- SO
SolanaFloor@SolanaFloorPost on X ·
NEWS: $KIMCHI peaked at a $44M market cap within an hour of Kimchi (@kimchi1x) joining @Pumpfun. Kimchi, reportedly known for making $40M on $TRUMP, holds around 75% of the token supply. @Pumpfun co-founder @Alon welcomed Kimchi, calling him a pioneer in bridging crypto and pop culture, and said he would help shape the platform’s creative direction.
Open source - SO
SolanaFloor@SolanaFloorPost on X ·
News: $KIMCHI Hits $44M ATH After @kimchi1x Joins @Pumpfun App, but Can It Avoid the Fate of Past Creator Coins? ✍️ @ideyquickvex https://t.co/uNZ5RNTHIw
Open source - DW
DeFi Warhol@Defi_WarholPost on X ·
Play-by-play of the $KIMCHI situation↓ July 27 Original $KIMCHI launches as “Aura Final Boss.” 70% of supply reportedly sent to a wallet believed to be Kimchi's. August Original hits a $6.2M mcap. It had holders months before the vlog drama. Oct 20, before the vlog Original bounces from ~$450K to $5M as attention builds. Oct 20, 23:00 UTC Kimchi uploads his first vlog. Within minutes, another $KIMCHI shows up on @Pumpfun fighting for the same attention. Oct 20, within 15 min Original dumps from a $7.9M spike to $880K. The wallet holding 70% didn't sell. Buyers just rotated to the new one. Oct 20-21, within 90 min New token hits $44.6M after linking Kimchi's X profile and sending 75% of supply to a wallet presented as his. Oct 20–21, another launch @Supermanonchain, the dev behind the ANSEM token, launches a third $KIMCHI. This time, 90% of the supply goes to the wallet linked to Kimchi. It hits $4.8M, then falls to $2.4M. IMO, this is all about attention because the OG $KIMCHI was vamped by newer coins trying to look more connected to Kimchi. Did you ape a bag of this?
Open source - HI
hira@Hiraweb3Post on X ·
Kimchi might have just pulled off one of the craziest marketing plays we’ve seen in crypto this year. And the more you look into it, the more you realize this wasn’t just about launching another token. It was about building an entire narrative before the token even existed. Let me explain. For months, @kimchi1x was playing a completely different game. No desperate engagement farming. No endless token promotions. Just carefully timed luxury lifestyle content, expensive locations, and a mysterious online presence that kept people coming back. One post. Then silence. Another post. Then more speculation. Every appearance became an event. And that’s exactly where things started getting interesting. While everyone else was fighting for attention on the timeline, Kimchi was making people wait for his next move. Then came the reported multimillion-dollar partnership with @Pumpfun Suddenly, the lifestyle content wasn’t just lifestyle content anymore. It had become the foundation of a massive crypto narrative. The token launch followed, and the numbers being circulated are absolutely insane. • Market cap reportedly approaching $50M • Claims of roughly 75% of the supply being controlled • Wallet valuations being discussed in the $37M–$40M range If those figures are accurate, we’re looking at an extraordinary example of how attention can translate into on-chain valuation. But here’s what I find most fascinating. Kimchi didn’t start by selling a token. He started by selling a story. He built curiosity before introducing a product. He created exclusivity before asking for attention. And by the time crypto Twitter started discussing the launch, the audience was already there. That’s something most projects completely misunderstand. They launch a token first and then spend millions trying to convince people to care. Kimchi appears to have done the opposite. Build the identity. Build the audience. Build the anticipation. Then introduce the token when everyone is already watching. Of course, there’s another side to this story. Concentrated token ownership raises serious questions about liquidity, distribution, and what happens when large holders decide to sell. A wallet showing tens of millions in unrealized value doesn’t mean that amount can actually be withdrawn. And hype alone doesn’t guarantee long-term success. Still, from a pure attention and marketing perspective, this entire situation is fascinating. Crypto has always rewarded narratives. But we’re entering an era where the ability to manufacture attention might be just as valuable as the technology behind a project. Kimchi understood something that thousands of founders still haven’t figured out. In this market, attention comes first. Liquidity follows. Whether this becomes a lasting success story or another short-lived crypto spectacle remains to be seen. But one thing is certain. Everyone is talking about Kimchi now. And that might have been the plan all along.
Open source - GU
Guraa@guraaHQPost on X ·
this trader claimed he made $40M trading $TRUMP now pump fun just hired him his name is clayton kim aka kimchi > grew up in the US and studied business at USC > got into crypto through friends he met playing fortnite > started trading solana memecoins in april 2024 > spent nearly 15 hours a day hunting new launches > made six figures monthly by november 2024 then $TRUMP changed everything > trump launched his official memecoin in jan 2025 > kimchi claimed he made around $40M trading it > crypto twitter started calling $40M "one kimchi" > his exact profits remain independently unverified then the mysterious millionaire era began > stopped sharing detailed trading calls > started posting luxury cars, watches and lavish experiences > became famous without revealing much about his personal life recently $KIMCHI token drama began > a kimchi themed token launched after his pumpfun announcement > its market cap reached upto $40M > he holds 75% supply of this coin > his profile displayed millions in unrealized gains > onchain investigators flagged suspicious activity around the token launch and then pumpfun entered the story > signed kimchi as a creative partner > pumpfun co founder Alon described him as a trader who became a celebrity > his role is to help shape pumpfun's creative direction now pumpfun is betting on such crypto personalities who can attract a wider audience i always said that don't trust people just because they flex millions online always look for receipts, not lifestyle like kimchi
Open source - MI
Market Insider@MrketInsiderPost on X ·
JUST IN: KIMCHI ANNOUNCES A PUMPFUN PARTNERSHIP CRYPTO TWITTER SPECULATES THE DEAL IS WORTH 8 FIGURES https://t.co/OFPFyb2omG
Open source - AD
Advyth@AdvythPost on X ·
Kimchi signed to Pump Fun as a trader for over $3,000,000 And people are still trying to go pro in video games for a 100k/year salary WAKE UP THERE'S MORE MONEY TO BE MADE ELSEWHERE
Open source