Over the past few weeks, I have received a number of inquiries regarding how to list a token on an exchange. I'm not really sure why I have received so many questions about this, but I would suspect that it has something to do with Bitcoin Cash making it so easy for anyone to create and issue their own cryptocurrency with the Simple Ledger Protocol. In this post, I'll discuss some of the different ways that you can list a cryptocurrency token on an exchange and compare and contrast the benefits of the different methods.
Without a doubt, Memo.cash is one of the easiest "one stop shop" ways to not only create an SLP based cryptocurrency token, but also list that token for sale. Listing on Memo is incredibly simple, and all that is needed is to create an account and list the tokens for sale by clicking "Sell Tokens".
After that, you will be able to select the quantity you want to sell and the price.
Shortly thereafter, your token will be listed for sale and people will be able to purchase it.
Without a doubt, Memo is one of the easiest ways to list SLP tokens for sale, but it may not be the most efficient as it works on more of a "take it or leave it" bid and offer system than a true exchange. What I mean by this is that various sizes of token batches are listed for sale at various prices. The buyer either has the option to buy the lot at that price or to pass. If I list 100 ROB token for 10,000,000 Satoshis of BCH, the user has the option of either purchasing the full lot at the full price or not.
CCTip
Although Memo may be the easiest way of selling and listing your SLP tokens for sale, it lacks many of the features of a true exchange. For those of you who want more functionality than Memo offers, listing on CCtip might be the better option. Listing your token on CCTip is a simple process that requires you to log in with either a Twitter, Reddit, Discord, or Telegram account.
A second benefit of using CCTip is that you are not strictly limited to SLP tokens and can also list ERC-20 (Ethereum) and TRC10/20 (Tron) compliant tokens.
After that, it is a simple process to paste your token ID into the form, fill out the form email address, and add your social media channels if desired.
After that, you will be taken to the final confirmation page where you can read the terms and conditions and agree to the small listing fee.
Other Exchanges
Most people who approach me for help listing a token want to list some type of SLP token. I would suspect that this is due to the fact that SLP tokens are so easy to create. ERC-20 tokens can take a bit more work, and it is my opinion that most people who have the time/money/skills to develop an ERC-20 token have a far better understanding of crypto than I do and therefore have no need for my assistance listing an ERC-20 token. Nevertheless, for the sake of completeness, I want to briefly cover considerations for listing on Uniswap as well as big name centralized exchanges.
Uniswap gives two options for listing your ERC-20 compliant token. If your token has high liquidity, market cap, or trading volume, you can apply for your token to be listed on the dropdown menu. This will make it easy for users to see your token on the front end when they go to trade.
If your token does not meet those requirements, it is still possible to do a "Custom Linking". However, this method requires more crypto knowledge than I am capable of providing - just know that it is an option if you desire.
Centralized Exchanges
Centralized exchange listing can be a lengthy process that also costs a lot of money, but has a number of benefits as well. Many centralized exchanges have a rigorous screening process to determine what assets they will allow on the platform. Thus, earning this "seal of approval" and getting a coin listed on a centralized exchange usually adds credibility to the project and is usually followed by a significant price appreciation of the coins.
That being said, getting listed on a centralized exchange is a very lengthy process, and has significantly more paperwork than listing on a DEX or placing batch sales on Memo. For example, Coinbase evaluates new coins against its "Digital Asset Framework" to evaluate the potential for listing. Some of the points to be evaluated are the founding team, the economic novelty of the coin, the potential for scalability, legal compliance, code audits, etc. In summary, it takes a lot of work to get listed on a centralized exchange, but it can offer many benefits for coins that can successfully navigate the hurdles.
Summary
As crypto becomes more popular, many people will want to try their hand at creating a coin with a unique benefit and bringing their ideas to the market. Thankfully, it is becoming easier and easier to not only create tokens/coins but list them on exchanges as well. Choosing what exchange to list on is a tradeoff between the effort required to achieve listing and the benefits of the listing. Although this article was not a detailed "how to" achieve listing on every major exchange, I hope it gave you a general idea of the listing process as well as provided some ideas for what types of listings might best suit your purpose.
As always, not financial advice, and thanks for reading!
References
https://blog.coinbase.com/new-asset-listing-process-a83ef296a0f3
https://uniswap.org/docs/v1/frontend-integration/token-listing/
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