Binance Overhauls Listing Process, Blacklists Deal Brokers Amid Transparency Push
Binance has implemented a comprehensive overhaul of its listing process, banning third-party deal brokers and establishing stricter criteria for listings across its Alpha, futures, and spot markets. All listings are now required to be submitted via official channels, and Binance has published a blacklist identifying individuals and firms—including BitABC, Central Research, May/Dannie, Andrew Lee, Suki Yang, Fiona Lee, and Kenny Z—suspected of misrepresenting themselves, with potential legal action pending.
This reform initiative aims to enhance transparency and quality by introducing structured due diligence, community co-governance voting mechanisms for listing and delisting decisions, and a monitoring zone for ongoing project reporting. Community members will actively participate by voting on whether projects should remain listed, thereby adding public oversight to Binance’s listing choices.
The changes follow criticism from Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) in February 2025, who described the previous listing system as "bit broken," a concern that spurred these reforms. The Alpha platform plays a key role by targeting early-stage tokens through events such as Pre-TGE, Prime Sale, TGE, airdrops, and Booster programs that build momentum before full market launches.
Binance's ecosystem also encompasses a contract and derivatives platform alongside a spot platform for direct trading. It offers visibility tools like Launchpool, Megadrop, and HODLer airdrops to promote new projects with strong teams and communities. Currently, Binance reports a 24-hour trading volume of $11.13 billion, listing 441 coins across 1,638 trading pairs.
Previously, in October, CJ Hetherington accused Binance of demanding 8% of a token’s supply plus $2 million for its listing and alleged that tokens were dumped after listings. Binance initially threatened legal action but later acknowledged some facts related to the allegations, affirming that it does not profit from listing fees; instead, allocated tokens are primarily used for marketing purposes.
