Coinbase gives in to pressure – finally lists rival Binance’s BNB amid listing drama

Coinbase has taken an unexpected turn by adding Binance’s native token BNB to its official listing roadmap, a move marking the first time the US exchange has shown support for its rival’s flagship asset.

The announcement came on Wednesday when Coinbase Markets revealed that BNB had been added to the roadmap, meaning the exchanges will go live once “sufficient market-making support and technical infrastructure” are in place.

While the inclusion does not guarantee an immediate listing, it does show intent and, to many observers, a change in Coinbase’s listing stance.

The timing of this move is striking. Just over a week ago, Arca CIO Jeff Dorman criticized Coinbase for what he described as inconsistent listing standards, saying the exchange had listed “some of the absolute worst assets” while ignoring rival platforms’ best-performing tokens.

Dorman argued that Coinbase’s selective approach left it “stuck between” being an open marketplace and a curated platform.

The addition of GNH to the roadmap therefore appears to be a response to growing external pressure and criticism of inconsistency.

Coinbase’s BNB movement: response to criticism or not towards a more open market?

This pressure appeared to intensify after a separate dispute erupted between Binance and Limitless Labs, a company backed by Coinbase Ventures.

Limitless CEO CJ Hetherington accused Binance of demanding around 8% of his project’s token supply, along with cash and security deposits, in exchange for a possible listing.

Binance has denied the allegations, calling them “false and defamatory” and stating that it does not profit from listings. The exchange said all required deposits are refundable within one to two years and are designed to discourage scams.

In response to the controversy, Jesse Pollak, head of Coinbase’s Base Network, wrote that “listings on exchanges should cost 0%,” a remark that quickly brought attention back to Coinbase itself.

Critics have urged the company to “lead by example” and list BNB, arguing that failure to do so would undermine its message of transparency and fairness.

The listing also follows Coinbase’s deployment of “The Blue Carpet”, a new suite of tools designed to make its listing process more transparent and accessible to asset issuers.

According to the company’s blog, Blue Carpet offers direct access to Coinbase’s SEO team, customizable asset pages on its centralized exchange and retail DEX, discounts on services such as MiCA whitepaper support, and Coinbase One subscriptions for select project teams.

Coinbase emphasized that registrations and applications remain free, reiterating that the company does not charge registration or application fees, a clear distinction from practices often prevalent in the exchange industry.

The exchange said its standards focus on legal, compliance and technical criteria rather than a project’s popularity or market capitalization.

BNB Rises 2% After Coinbase Adds Token to Roadmap

BNB’s journey began in July 2017 when it launched via an ICO on Ethereum, raising $15 million.

Originally designed to offer low trading fees on Binance, it later migrated to the Binance Chain in 2019 and became the native asset of the broader BNB Chain ecosystem.

Today, it is one of the most widely used blockchains in the world, hosting a range of decentralized applications, trading platforms and smart contracts.

Additionally, BNB has been trading for some time now on exchanges such as WEEX, Bybit, Binance, Bitget, LBank, Pionex and many others.

As for Coinbase, the decision to list its rival’s token represents a shift that is both strategic and symbolic.

For years, Coinbase has been criticized for excluding BNB, citing compliance and technical limitations.

However, in its announcement, Coinbase reiterated that roadmap additions do not constitute guaranteed listings and that assets may be delayed or removed if requirements are not met.

The decision to move forward with BNB comes as the token continues to show resilience in the market. BNB briefly rose 2% to $1,175 following the news before stabilizing.

The world’s third-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization recently hit a new all-time high of $1,370, defying broader volatility triggered by a $19 billion selloff in crypto markets.

Data from Coinomist magazine shows that the BNB chain has processed over 500 million transactions in the last 30 days, a 151% month-over-month increase.

Much of this activity has been driven by a surge in Binance’s native coins, fueled by the platform’s growing engagement in retail trading.

Despite leadership changes at Binance, investor confidence in BNB remains strong, with many analysts highlighting its buyback model and growing utility to the ecosystem.

The article Coinbase Bows to Pressure – Finally Lists Rival Binance’s BNB Amid Listing Drama appeared first on Cryptonews.

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