Solana (SOL) and Raydium (RAY) have jumped in the past 24 hours after the decentralized exchange launched a new tool called LaunchLab that competes directly with its former partner, Pump.fun. In late March, Pump.fun launched an automated market maker (AMM) and broke up with Raydium after collaborating for many months. Introducing LaunchLab, Raydium's all-in-one token launchpad. Built for Creators, Developers, and the Community https://t.co/yZVzShVZSJ More info pic.twitter.com/r6s1DAegWf — Raydium (@RaydiumProtocol) April 16, 2025 Meme coins that were popular on Pump.fun graduated to Raydium and received a liquidity boost from its AMM. However, as part of a move to capture higher fees, Pump.fun opted to launch its own AMM. In response, Raydium is launching a token minting platform that includes more advanced features and that could capture a share of this attractive niche of the Solana meme coin market. To improve Pump.fun’s existing value proposition, LaunchLab will allow creators to decide the minimum SOL tokens that need to be raised before moving the asset to the AMM and include vesting schemes. As competition heats up in the token-minting realm, Solana (SOL) has benefited from the transaction volumes that meme coins bring to its network. SOL has gone up by nearly 6% in the past day and currently stands at $133.3 per token. Trading volumes have surged by 38% following Raydium’s launch news. Meanwhile, SOL has delivered weekly gains of 17% as multiple meme coins, but primarily Fartcoin (FART), have seen their price explode recently. Bullish Momentum Picks Up for SOL and Could Push it to $150 Soon Solana (SOL) broke a descending triangle and temporarily invalidated the pattern’s bearish bias. Momentum indicators have improved significantly as a result as the Relative Strength Index (RSI) crossed above the signal line while the MACD’s histogram has been on an uptrend for an entire week now. SOL has also moved above the 21-day EMA, meaning that the price trend has changed in favor of bulls. Now that the $135 level has been tagged, the next target for SOL if bullish momentum picks up its pace would be the $150 level. Raydium’s decision to launch its own meme coin minting tool is positive for the ecosystem as it could attract further interest from creators. It may not be good for Pump.fun as competition has instantly heated up, but it is good news for the network as a whole. Meanwhile, another Solana-based protocol called Solaxy (SOLX) has become one of the best crypto presales of the year by introducing a layer-two scaling solution that will strengthen the Solana ecosystem. Solaxy (SOLX) Raises $30M to Launch its Solana Layer-2 In just four months since launching, Solaxy’s presale has already raised $30.4 million—fueling the rollout of a powerful protocol designed to boost Solana’s efficiency and eliminate transaction failures during periods of peak network activity. Solaxy’s development team has been working closely with leading blockchain firms like Sovereign Labs and Hyperlane, successfully conducting early tests of its Layer 2 solution on the Solana devnet. As adoption grows among dApps and developers seeking faster, more scalable infrastructure, demand for $SOLX is likely to surge—making its current presale price of $0.001696 a strategic entry for early buyers. To buy $SOLX, simply head to the Solaxy website and connect your wallet (e.g. Best Wallet ). You can either swap SOL, USDT, or ETH for this token or use a bank card to make your investment. The post Solana Bulls Eye $200 as Raydium Debuts LaunchLab — Here’s What Traders Should Know appeared first on Cryptonews .