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DefinitionMemecoins

Bonding Curve

A pricing formula that automatically changes a token’s price based on how many tokens have been bought or sold.

A bonding curve is a smart contract design that sets a token’s price using a predefined mathematical formula. Instead of relying first on an exchange order book, the contract mints tokens when people buy and burns or returns tokens when people sell, with the price moving along the curve. In many memecoin launches, a bonding curve is used to create an early market before the token is listed on a decentralized exchange.

It matters because the curve controls how quickly the price rises as demand increases, how much liquidity is available for selling, and how early buyers and later buyers are treated. For example, a simple upward-sloping curve might make each new memecoin purchase slightly more expensive than the last, similar to tickets becoming pricier as seats fill up. Once a preset funding or liquidity target is reached, the token may “graduate” to a regular liquidity pool, where market trading takes over.

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