Pump.fun is facing criticism over its GO crypto bounty feature after users completed tasks tied to humiliation and physical risk in exchange for digital payments. The Solana meme coin launchpad rolled out GO on June 4, letting users post paid tasks through an escrow-based system. According to the New York Post, the platform has already paid out more than $370,000, with over 270 open bounties still active and more than $200,000 in remaining rewards.
A bounty marketplace mixing ordinary acts with extreme requests
GO functions as a task marketplace where users connect an X account and a crypto wallet before creating or completing listings. Rewards reportedly start at $5, and Pump.fun reviews submissions before releasing payment. Some tasks were relatively mild, including feeding stray animals or donating clothes. Others were far more extreme: getting a forehead tattoo, putting a face in a toilet, quitting a job on camera, or climbing Mount Everest.
One reported case involved a man in the Philippines who received $15,000 in crypto for tattooing “bounty.fun” on his forehead. Another listing offered $57,200 for climbing Mount Everest and completing a related betting task. Those examples pushed the feature into a wider public debate.
Critics raise safety, ethics, and legal concerns
Objections have come from both public officials and tech figures. New York Governor Kathy Hochul criticized the feature on X and said she would support legislation to ban it. X head of product Nikita Bier also attacked the system, arguing that it encourages people to carry out shameful acts for money.
Reporting from Wired highlighted concerns around embarrassment-based tasks, harassment, and possible legal exposure. The issue is not limited to a few odd listings. Critics are questioning whether a crypto reward model tied to visibility and user-generated challenges can keep harmful behavior in check.
Pump.fun says users participate at their own risk
Pump.fun has warned participants that they join at their own risk. Reports from Bankless and The Defiant said the company keeps the authority to approve, reject, or cancel submissions. Even so, the current backlash suggests that moderation has not stopped several highly controversial bounties from appearing on the platform.
The response also revives older concerns around Pump.fun’s livestreaming tools. The platform had previously halted livestreaming after users resorted to extreme tactics to attract attention, then brought it back with tighter moderation. GO is now drawing attention for the same mix of viral incentives, unusual challenges, and sizable crypto payouts.