A new round of rivalry has erupted between Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao and Coinbase after the U.S. exchange quietly added BNB, Binance’s native token, to its official listing roadmap, ending years of silence around one of the world’s largest cryptocurrencies.
Just a week earlier, Arca CIO Jeff Dorman had accused Coinbase of inconsistent listing standards, arguing that it supported “some of the absolute worst assets” while ignoring top-performing tokens from rival ecosystems.
Dorman’s criticism intensified following a separate dispute between Binance and Limitless Labs, a firm backed by Coinbase Ventures.
Then, in a move that caught the crypto world by surprise, Coinbase added BNB to its listing roadmap, showing potential support for its biggest rival’s token for the first time.
The announcement immediately drew a response from CZ, who acknowledged the listing with a mix of gratitude and subtle challenge.
But the story didn’t end there. CZ later challenged Coinbase directly, urging the exchange to go beyond BNB and start listing other BNB Chain–based tokens if it truly upholds a neutral and unbiased listing policy.
His message was clear: if Coinbase can finally embrace BNB, then the era of selective chain exclusion should end.
The exchange rivalry that once defined early crypto competition now appears to be evolving into a battle over ecosystem recognition, with CZ positioning Binance’s BNB Chain as the “stronger, more active network” and daring Coinbase to acknowledge it.
CZ Publicly Challenges Coinbase: ‘List More BNB Chain Projects!’
In a post on X, Zhao called on Coinbase to list more BNB Chain projects, arguing that Binance had already supported several tokens built on Coinbase’s Layer-2 network, Base.
“Binance has listed several Base projects. I don’t think Coinbase has listed a single BNB Chain project yet,” CZ wrote. “And it’s a more active chain.”
CZ emphasized that his suggestion wasn’t a demand for reciprocity but a call for cross-chain inclusivity, insisting that Coinbase’s engagement with the BNB ecosystem would benefit both platforms and their users.
Indeed, Binance has already listed multiple Base-native projects, including meme coin Brett (BRETT), analytics platform Kaito (KAITO), and Aixbt (AIXBT), alongside the Base-wrapped version of Horizen (ZEN).
These listings, which CZ has referred to, show Binance’s willingness to support projects across ecosystems, even those associated with a competitor.
Notably, data supports CZ’s claim about BNB Chain’s stronger network activity.
According to DeFiLlama, BNB Chain currently holds over $8.76 billion in total value locked (TVL) across its decentralized finance ecosystem, outpacing Coinbase’s Base network, which stands at roughly $4.99 billion in TVL.
Source: DeFiLlamaThat gap, industry analysts say, indicates a broader skepticism about Coinbase’s listing philosophy, whether the exchange prioritizes ecosystem alignment over user demand. For years, Coinbase has been cautious about supporting assets tied to direct competitors, and the delayed consideration of BNB shows that tension.
Still, the timing of the token addition to its roadmap shows a potential shift in stance. With BNB ranked among the top five cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, Coinbase’s move could mark a pragmatic step toward bridging exchange silos in an increasingly interconnected crypto landscape.
As CZ put it, “This isn’t about rivalry — it’s about fairness.”
But for many in the industry, it’s also a reminder that even in 2025, crypto’s biggest exchanges are still battling for ideological and market dominance, one token listing at a time
Binance Founder Clears Air on Exchange Listing Fees as BNB Activity Hits Record Highs
In a separate post addressing growing debates about exchange listing fees, Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao offered a rare clarification, encouraging crypto projects to focus on value creation rather than payment negotiations.
In the post, CZ outlined his views, advising projects not to pay them if they believed in their strength.
He argued that exchanges have different models; some list everything, some charge fees, and others require deposits or airdrops for users, but none should be vilified.
“If your project is strong, exchanges will race to list your coin,” he said. “If you have to beg an exchange to list, you need to ask yourself who is providing value to whom.”
Industry analysts say that for exchanges, excluding top-performing tokens like BNB carries more long-term cost than short-term gain by eroding liquidity access, user engagement, and market credibility.
Meanwhile, the BNB Chain ecosystem continues to post record activity, indicating CZ’s argument that demand for strong projects drives listings, not the other way around.
According to data from Nansen, daily active addresses on BNB Chain hit an all-time high of 3.46 million on Monday, passing the previous record of 3.44 million in December 2023.
Source: NansenNansen data also showed that in the last 30 days, the number of successful transactions on BNB Chain passed 500 million, surging 151% from the previous 30-day period. The network is second only to Solana, which recorded nearly 1.8 billion transactions in that time frame.
The post CZ vs. Coinbase: Binance Founder Demands Recognition for BNB Listings: “Why Ignore the Stronger Chain?” appeared first on Cryptonews.
