# Pump and Dump

*Trading & Technical Analysis — Finicade finance glossary*

A pump and dump inflates the price of a thinly traded asset with promotion and hype, then sells into the buying it generated. It targets penny stocks and small crypto tokens because a small float makes prices easy to move. Social media made it faster and cheaper to run; the mechanics are unchanged from the boiler rooms of a century ago, and it remains straightforwardly criminal.

**Also known as:** pump and dump scheme, ramp and dump

**Related terms:** [Market Manipulation](https://finicade.com/glossary/market-manipulation), [Penny Stock](https://finicade.com/glossary/penny-stock), [Meme Stock](https://finicade.com/glossary/meme-stock), [Rug Pull](https://finicade.com/glossary/rug-pull), [Wash Trading](https://finicade.com/glossary/wash-trading)

Source: https://finicade.com/glossary/pump-and-dump