BNB Chain Launches $100M Liquidity Program to Boost CEX Listings

BNB Chain is making a significant shift in its $100 million incentive program by introducing a direct token acquisition model. The adjustment follows feedback from the ecosystem indicating that the original liquidity initiative—launched in March 2024 to encourage centralized exchange listings for native BNB Chain tokens—was not as effective as anticipated.

Initially, the program was designed to reward projects based on their ability to get listed on top-tier and mid-tier exchanges, such as Binance, Coinbase, Upbit, Kraken, Bybit, and OKX, among others. The rewards were structured in a tiered format, ranging from $10,000 to $500,000 depending on the exchange level. The ultimate goal was to boost on-chain liquidity and create more robust market conditions for native BNB Chain assets.

However, after just three weeks, pilot feedback revealed that this listing-based approach wasn’t yielding the desired results. As a response, BNB Chain is now shifting its focus toward directly investing in high-potential projects rather than incentivizing exchange listings.

Under the revised program, projects with a market capitalization of over $1 million, more than 300 average daily active traders, or a total value locked (TVL) above $20 million can qualify for a new support pool. Security and other performance metrics will also be considered during the selection process.

Selected projects will see the BNB Chain Foundation directly acquire $100,000 worth of their tokens. The foundation will also retain full flexibility in terms of purchase timing and how the acquired tokens are managed afterward.

To qualify, tokens must be fully native to BNB Chain, although the program is also open to projects that have successfully migrated from other blockchains. The move comes amid a surge in developer activity across BNB Chain, with growth in areas such as DeFi, AI, web3 gaming, and meme projects.

Several new projects already gaining traction on BNB Chain include Quex Tech (an infrastructure solution), Crypto Use (a payments protocol), BNB4.AI (an AI-based launchpad), and Market.Win (a prediction market powered by oracle data).

With this new direction, BNB Chain is aiming to make its incentive program more targeted and impactful, directly supporting the projects that are actively contributing to ecosystem growth.