Pump.fun engages Polymarket and Pantera as hackathon advisors

Pump.fun has brought on board Polymarket, Delphi Digital and Pantera Capital as advisors for the $3 million Build in Public hackathon.

Pump.fun has appointed advisors from several leading crypto companies for the new Build in Public hackathon, a $3 million initiative designed to support founders who transparently launch and grow projects.

The development was announced on January 28 via a press release shared with crypto.news. Pump,fun’s new initiative is built around a simple idea. Builders deliver early, share progress publicly, and let real market activity determine which projects gain traction and funding.

Pumping fun said the hackathon is open to founders at any stage, from early concepts to live products. Applications opened on January 19 and close on February 18, with some teams expected to secure funding before the deadline.

Advisors join as market participants, not as judges

The advisory group brings together executives and investors from across the crypto industry, including Polymarket, Delphi Digital, Pantera Capital, Kraken, Jump Crypto, Manifold Ventures, Arca, Draper Investments, Helius, Privy and 6th Man Ventures.

According to Pump.fun, advisors will publicly engage with projects, share feedback and help promising teams gain attention and distribution. They do not review applications or formally select winners. Instead, market momentum will serve as the primary signal.

Alon, co-founder of Pump.fun (PUMP), said the approach reflects how product development has evolved. While AI tools have lowered the barrier to building software, he noted that access to early-stage financing remains difficult. The goal, he said, is to let builders demonstrate demand first and let capital follow the proven traction.

Anil Lulla, co-founder of Delphi Digital, echoed this view, noting the growing importance of building in public and learning directly from users. As creating software becomes more accessible, he says, market responses, rather than private pitch meetings, often reveal which ideas have staying power.

Financing structure and built-in public approach

The hackathon will distribute $3 million to 12 selected teams, with funding provided through token-based deals. Participants must launch a token on Pump.fun, maintain a portion of the supply to stay aligned with users, and share regular updates throughout the build process.

Projects are organized into three tracks based on maturity, ranging from early-stage ideas to working products with initial revenue signals. The program is open to both crypto-native and non-crypto teams, provided the founders are willing to operate transparently and let usage, trading activity and community engagement determine outcomes.

Pump.fun said it has already received applications in areas such as prediction markets, consumer apps, decentralized finance, trading infrastructure, developer tools and AI-driven on-chain products.