Cz Vs. Coinbase: Binance Founder Demands Recognition For Bnb Listings: “Why Ignore The Stronger Chain?”

What Happened

The announcement immediately drew a response from CZ, who acknowledged the listing with a mix of gratitude and subtle challenge.

Market Context

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.

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

Why It Matters

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.

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.

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.

Details

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.

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.”

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.

That 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.

As CZ put it, “This isn’t about rivalry — it’s about fairness.”

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.