Raydium, a Solana-based DeFi platform, has launched its own memecoin launchpad after Pump.fun severed ties with the automated market maker last month. Dubbed LaunchLab, the new memecoin-making protocol officially went live on April 16, giving users a simple way to create, customise, and trade their own tokens directly on the Solana blockchain, according to an X post from Raydium on the day. The platform connects directly to Raydium’s liquidity pools, allowing new tokens to start trading instantly with minimal setup. Projects that raise at least 85 SOL, or about $11,150, are automatically added to Raydium’s AMM, giving them access to deeper liquidity from the start. LaunchLab also offers flexible bonding curve options, 1% trading fees, and zero migration costs, a key change aimed at reducing friction for both developers and traders. Over 10 projects had already crossed the 85 SOL threshold at press time, suggesting early interest in the new tool. Following the launch, Raydium’s native token RAY spiked roughly 13% to $2.41 before cooling off to around $2.32, at press time. According to Raydium, 25% of all trading fees collected through LaunchLab will be used to buy back RAY tokens, potentially supporting its market value over time. You might also like: Raydium’s share of memecoin volume surges in Q1 but Pump.fun’s DEX poses risk As previously reported by crypto.news, early signs of Raydium working on a new token launch platform emerged in March, shortly after Pump.fun revealed plans for its own automated market maker. The announcement from Pump.fun, which had long used Raydium’s liquidity pools for its bonding curve launches, effectively ended what was seen as a key source of revenue and activity for Raydium. On March 20, Pump.fun introduced PumpSwap, a Solana-based DEX that supports all launchpad coins completing their bonding curve, offering instant, fee-free migrations and full trading support. At the time, an anonymous Raydium developer, LaunchLab, had already been in the works for several months. However, the team kept it shelved to avoid any perception that they were directly competing with Pump.fun or other launchpads. According to the developer, LaunchLab wasn’t built to replace Pump.fun, but rather to offer teams a simpler way to create and manage tokens without starting from scratch. That said, LaunchLab still lacks some community-driven features like Pump.fun’s live streaming option, which has become a popular tool for memecoin creators to engage directly with their audiences. Due to widespread misuse, including extreme stunts and threats of self-harm, Pump.fun suspended the feature in November 2024 following community backlash. It has since been reinstated , with the platform fully restoring live streaming on April 11 under stricter moderation rules to curb abuse. Read more: Raydium launches Pump.fun clone, industry reception divided
