Add as a preferred source on Google13 of 15 Tokens With Plans to Return Value Beat Bitcoin Year to Date
Hyperliquid and Pump.fun led the selected group, while Maple and Lido show why a buyback policy and completed purchases must be measured separately.
Thirteen of 15 tokens with active or announced plans to return value to holders have outperformed Bitcoin (BTC) year to date, with the largest gains concentrated in two projects that regularly buy back their tokens.
The tally covers a selected group, including plans that had only been announced. It does not show that buybacks caused the price gains or that every program has made purchases.
As of Oct. 27, Hyperliquid (HYPE) had risen more than 200% since the start of 2026 and Pump.fun (PUMP) had gained more than 120%. BTC fell about 8.5% over that same period.
Hyperliquid directs 95% to 99% of its revenue toward HYPE buybacks. Pump.fun uses 50% of net revenue to buy and burn PUMP. Together, the two projects accounted for nearly 90% of the $638 million spent on crypto token buybacks from January through late August.
Maple offers a different example. Its SYRUP token has fallen about 45% year to date, even as Maple’s assets under management reached $4.7 billion at the end of the third quarter, up 18% from a year earlier.
Before Maple changed its rules, it allocated 25% of revenue to the Syrup Strategic Fund, which could use the money for buybacks and other purposes. The replacement program sets monthly SYRUP purchases at 10%, 20% or 30% of net revenue, depending on the month’s revenue. September revenue exceeded the $1.5 million threshold for the 20% tier, and buybacks based on September revenue were about double those based on August revenue. The earlier 25% fund allocation was not a fixed buyback rate.
Lido’s LDO token has also declined year to date, but its two purchase programs have different records. A separate LDO accumulation program approved in April had used 3,000 stETH from a 10,000 stETH budget to buy LDO through September.
Lido launched its automated NEST program in August. NEST had made no purchases when assessed on Nov. 9. It begins buying only when annualized staking revenue exceeds $40 million, then allocates half the amount above that threshold, subject to limits of $50,000 a day and $10 million a year.
Those distinctions matter when assessing what a program has delivered. An announced allocation is a rule for future spending; completed purchases show what has happened. Trading activity can change the revenue available for buybacks, while token unlocks and new issuance can offset their effect on circulating supply.