How to list your new crypto project on an exchange?

Updated on 26 June 2023

If you have ambitions within the crypto community, it’s actually possible to create your own token, or even a coin when you create a blockchain yourself. The crypto that is inherent to that blockchain is called the native cryptocurrency. Keep in mind, that there are various difficulty levels when creating cryptocurrency. We will discuss this later in the article. If you have already created a token or coin, you might be interested in the best possible way to list your cryptocurrency on an exchange. An exchange is basically the (digital) marketplace where people trade different cryptocurrencies, and as such, you can list your own in order for it to become tradable. Keep in mind, that listing your token on an exchange is in no way a guarantee for success: there are already tens of thousands of different cryptocurrencies available at the moment. Nonetheless, if you have a solid plan and an original idea that also helps others in some way, chances are realistic that you could achieve success. In this article, we will discuss how crypto projects are created, funded and also listed. We will also provide you with some helpful tips regarding the listing process, and how you can speed this up.

What is an Initial Coin Offering?

When you decide to create a new cryptocurrency, you can raise money via an ICO. This is actually the equivalent of an Initial Public Offering (IPO). Via an ICO you issue a new cryptocurrency, with the main aim of raising money, so you can compare it to crowdfunding as well. As opposed to asking investors for money for a good idea you have, you can now obtain start-up capital with the help of an ICO. Due to the fact that your coin can actually gain in worth down the line, investors are actually very positive about investing money this way. They don’t gain shares such as in a regular company, for example a private limited company, but they hold coins that can increase in value. Crypto investors are therefore always on the lookout for interesting new cryptocurrencies. The coin or token itself may or may not have a utility that is related to the service or product your company is offering, or in other cases it can represent a stake in the project or business.

As a company or individual, you can take advantage of this popularity by creating a cryptocurrency yourself. If you also have a good idea backing up the coin, you basically gain two types of income: direct investments and possible future gains when the coin increases in value. As you might know, companies that decide to go public need to meet many conditions and are strictly regulated. This is to protect investors against possible fraud. However, for cryptocurrencies, this is currently not regulated anywhere. This inevitably means, that literally anyone can create their own cryptocurrency and spend these as well. Just be mindful of the fact, that, if you decide to scam people, this will cast a shadow on you and your business forever. It might seem easy to steal money from people and make a run for it, but nowadays, everyone can be found and prosecuted. If you decide to put a coin on the market, make sure that it benefits all parties involved. This is always the best way to do business.

The idea behind any cryptocurrency

The main goal of issuing a new crypto is to gain wealth, ideally for everyone involved. This entails having a good idea to begin with. When you ask investors to invest money in your (new) company or idea, you generally create a solid business plan that describes exactly what you want, why you need it and what you are going to do with the funds. When you want to list a new cryptocurrency, you don’t make a business plan, but you create a white paper instead. This is not necessary, by the way, since there are no regulations yet that cover the way you should go about creating a new cryptocurrency, as we already discussed above. Nonetheless, if you want to be taken seriously, and you also want your project or idea to thrive, creating a white paper is the way to do this. Some crypto investors might buy cryptocurrency without knowing what the coin stands for. However, there are also investors who look at what the idea behind a coin is before they decide to invest anything. What do they get in exchange for the purchase of this coin? Is there a service in return, can they pay with it at the store, or do they invest in a cool new project? With a white paper, you basically answer all these questions.

When Satoshi Nakamoto created Bitcoin, he sent his white paper attached to an email which stated: “I’ve been working on a new electronic cash system that’s fully peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party.” This single sentence explained the core of his ambition: he wanted to put financial control back into the hands of the people. This was the start of cryptocurrency, as his white paper laid the foundation for the first digital currency that also fully functioned, being backed by blockchain technology. Since his white paper is still circulating and being read on a daily basis by individuals everywhere, you could say that his idea had quite an impact on the world. The moral of this story: try to come up with something unique, valuable and original if you want your cryptocurrency to succeed. There are some examples of crypto’s that became successful without a substantial story and meaning to back it up, such as Dogecoin. This doesn’t mean that people will invest in your coin, if you are only joking around, though. Business is still business and your idea needs to hold some kind of value for others as well, if you want to make an impact. Whatever idea or project is behind your crypto, try to describe it as well as you can in your white paper.  This allows investors to see what they are betting their money on. Maybe you want to add something valuable to the already existing blockchain technology? Or maybe you have a humanitarian idea, that you want to express via crypto? Do your research and explain everything, because that will give you much larger chances to succeed.

How do you create your own cryptocurrency?

If you already have a broad idea about the function of your coin, or the project it’s related to, you can start thinking about the way you would actually like to create the cryptocurrency. There are a few different options available, which range drastically in difficulty. The following four methods are generally applied when creating cryptocurrency:

• If you have little to no technological and computing experience, you can hire a blockchain developer to create a token for you
• If you have some experience, you can use an already existing blockchain to create a new token, such as the Ethereum or Bitcoin Blockchain
• If you have substantial experience, you can try to modify the code on an already existing blockchain, for example to add something new
• If you are a cryptocurrency developer yourself or otherwise very experienced within this field, you can also choose to create an entirely new blockchain and its cryptocurrency

In general, you should be advised that this process takes plenty of time, commitment and, of course, resources. Next to that, the more advanced technical knowledge you have, the better. Otherwise, it might be very difficult for you to understand what you are creating. This, in turn, might prove to be an awkward situation, for example when you are supposed to pitch your idea to investors. Make sure you at least know about the basics of cryptocurrency, blockchain technology and how everything works in general. If you don’t, you also run the risk of others scamming you. You should also note that the creation process of any cryptocurrency is actually seen as the easy part of the entire project. Growing the coin and project over time and maintaining a solid value is much more challenging, and will require much effort and patience on your part. We discuss the creation process of any cryptocurrency in much more detail in this article.

How to list your new digital token on a cryptocurrency exchange

One of the main characteristics of any cryptocurrency, is that is needs to be tradable. This is actually true for every existing currency, otherwise the currency wouldn’t have much practical use. If you want to list your digital coin and trade it, you need to do this on a cryptocurrency exchange. Anyone who creates a cryptocurrency themselves, must ensure that it is for sale via one of the many trading exchanges. You can do this by contacting crypto exchanges yourself, but this can be a very tedious and confusing task, since many exchanges have different conditions that you need to adhere to. One of the best ways to get your token listed, is to use exchange listing services from an experienced company, such as Intercompany Solutions. We have access to a very large database of various exchange partners that we work with on a regular basis, making it easier to seek out the best option for your cryptocurrency. This also means, that we can help you get listed in a fast timeframe. Even if you managed to get your crypto listed on a decentralized exchange, you should still consider adding it to more and better known exchanges, since this will substantially increase your chances of people investing in your token. Next to that, it will make it easier for others to find your coin in general. There are tons of exchanges, since it’s a booming business to create an exchange.

There are conditions you will have to fulfil, if you want to get listed. On most exchanges, for example, you will need to provide the following information:

• The name of your digital token
• A detailed description of your coin, which clearly explains what sets your token apart from the rest. Preferably this is mentioned in a white paper
• The symbol for your token, which must be between 3–5 letters. Symbols and numbers aren’t allowed
• A logo for your token
• You also need to include a launch date of an ICO
• The maximum money supply
• Other (decentralized) exchanges you are possibly already listed on
• How you raised the money for the coin
• Links to your company’s website and possible social media accounts
• In most cases, you will also need to create an account on the exchange and verify it

This is generally the basic information you will need to provide, in order to get your token listed anywhere. In many cases, exchanges purposefully select projects and coins that offer something unique and new, since this automatically makes users interested in possible trading. If your idea is a lot like previous ideas or similar to already existing tokens, chances are that you won’t get listed. Also note, that some exchanges have more stringent processes than others. The larger the exchange, the smaller the chances that an exchange will pick your idea from amongst the rest. This is why it’s so important to stand out with your project and offer something truly new to the market. If your idea is innovative, useful and solves something that many people want solved, you have a good chance of getting listed. If you have an enthusiastic team, and you can provide all the information an exchange needs, then you should be able to get listed on most exchanges. You can also try to acquire additional exposure by providing information about your new token on various media. This might help to gain followers, which you can also mention when trying to get listed on an exchange.

What do you do with your tokens once they are listed?

An interesting question, of course! If your coins are successfully listed and also manage to rise in value, you have money to spend. Do you spend it all immediately, Or do you keep some for yourself, to see whether they become worth even more? In essence, it is always smart to keep some tokens. Suppose the value rises considerably, then it would be a shame if you do not own any tokens yourself anymore. Moreover, with some crypto coins in your possession, you can always decide whether more will be on the market. Next to that, with the issuance of your ICO, a lot of money has now been raised. How should, or can, you spend this money? Due to the fact that there are no rules tied to the issuance of new cryptocurrency, you can decide this entirely for yourself.  The fairest option is when you spend the money on the goal(s) you specifically stated in the white paper, since this is also the main reason that others invested in your token.

However, no one can check whether this actually happens. There are no clear laws and regulations covering this yet, so unfortunately, many people have already been scammed this way. If you want to do serious business, we strongly advise that you keep your promises and spend the money on your project. When crypto investors feel like they've been scammed, they do have the possibility of reporting this. For example, there were previously a lot of complaints against people who issued an ICO and ran off with the money. However, no one knew who the people really were: that is the dark side of the anonymity surrounding cryptocurrency. In business, trust is of the utmost importance. If you want to achieve success now and also in the future, keep your promises and do what you intended to do. It might be tempting to just take the money and disappear, but your image will forever be tarnished. So think twice before you do anything unethical with your achieved success.

The benefits of hiring a third party to list your cryptocurrency

Of course, as we already mentioned, you can try to get your token listed all by yourself. This means that you will probably have to contact many exchanges and go through the process numerous times, which can be extremely time-consuming. Also, the outcome is uncertain. Most exchanges can take ample amounts of time to even respond to your query, so you won’t know for a long time whether your application is successful. And even when an exchange agrees to list your coin, the process itself can take much time. If you hire a third party to help you out, such as Intercompany Solutions, you can get listed on many exchanges without a queue, which can save you large amounts of time. Another bonus is the fact, that we can offer much lower rates than the official prices that are mentioned on the exchanges, due to long-term partnerships. In a lot of cases, we can guarantee successful listing because of these partnerships, provided you can send us all the information that is needed for the process. Once we take care of the listing for you, we can connect you to the head management of the particular exchange to sign a direct contract. So working with us will not only create much better chances at getting listed, but it will go a lot faster and smoother as well. Please note that there were also fraudulent exchanges in the past, where the owner basically took the money and vanished. When you try to get listed yourself, you might run the risk of trusting an exchange that should not be trusted. By working with an experienced third party, you are completely free of such risks, since we only work with trusted and verified exchanges.

How Intercompany Solutions can assist you with listing your cryptocurrency on an exchange

If you have realistic plans regarding the issuance of a new digital token, you should definitely consider professional assistance and advice. We can help you with your ICO and try to get your token listed on an exchange, if you have a solid plan for the future.

Another matter we can assist you with, is company registration in the Netherlands. If you want to start a new project or have a very original idea, the Netherlands is a fantastic country to do business in. Many well-known multinationals are situated in Holland, making it an excellent hub to find potential investors and business partners. Moreover, you also have access to the European Single Market, which makes it easier for you to find suitable business opportunities. We can register a Dutch BV in just a few business days, which can back up your plans regarding the digital token. Of course, you can also decide to issue a new coin as an individual, as opposed to a business owner. Nonetheless, the chances are much higher that you will be taken seriously, when your plans are backed up by a business foundation.

Would you like to receive more detailed information about ICO’s and getting listed on an exchange, or would you like to inform yourself about your possible business potential in the Netherlands? Then feel free to contact us anytime with your query, we will respond as soon as possible.