Yeliz Akmaca 
Binance CEO CZ breaks his silence amid growing criticism over listing fees, responding directly to Coinbase’s stance. “Strong projects don’t need to pay,” he said.
Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao has responded to rising criticism surrounding exchange listing fees, addressing recent comments from Coinbase developer Jesse Pollack. Pollack accused Binance of maintaining an “exploitative and expensive model,” urging the exchange to eliminate listing fees entirely.
CZ defended Binance’s approach, saying that every exchange is free to choose its business model, adding that strong projects don’t need to pay for listings because user demand drives the listings naturally.
CZ: “If Your Project Is Strong, Exchanges Will Compete to List It”
CZ argued that credible crypto projects don’t have to beg or pay for listings.
“If your project is strong, exchanges will race to list your coin. If you have to beg, ask yourself why — and who’s providing value to whom,” he said.
He also advised developers to focus on building valuable projects rather than blaming exchanges for not listing their tokens. CZ’s post carried a strong message to competing platforms as well:
“Set your own listing fees to zero if you like. Even remove trading fees. It’s your choice. Focus on your users, not your competitors.”
Listing Fees, Business Models, and User Protection
CZ highlighted PancakeSwap as an example of a platform that doesn’t charge listing fees yet maintains strong trading volumes. According to him, each exchange balances inclusivity, security, and profitability differently.
Some exchanges, he noted, list every token and risk scams, while others charge listing fees or request airdrops and deposits to ensure only legitimate projects enter the market.
“These models are not black and white,” Zhao said. “Many exchanges use mixed strategies between spot, futures, and Web3 listings.”
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