How to List Crypto Tokens on Exchanges (The Easy Way)

The crypto landscape is exploding with new tokens daily, but getting your token listed on a real exchange still feels like climbing Everest for many projects. Endless email chains, opaque listing fees, and long wait times are a thing of the past, if you know the modern route.

Let’s break down how you can get your crypto token listed quickly, without gatekeepers, using open exchange systems like HollaEx®.

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The Old Way Of Listings

Getting listed on major exchanges often involves:

• Hefty fees, from $10K to $1M+
  
  
• Uncertain timelines, often months
  
  
• Zero control, exchanges may delist or delay without notice
  
  

Even decentralized exchanges (DEXs) can be too limited, only offering basic liquidity pools without full-featured orderbooks, or OTC optionality and will be open to certain attacks such as Sandwich attacks, Frontrunners, Sniperbots and many more which can drain your pressure liquidity reserves and distort the price.

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The New Way: Operate your own Exchange and Self-List using White-Label Software

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Enter HollaEx®, an award-winning exchange system that lets you list your own token, no gatekeepers — zero delays.

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Why This Works:

• Instant control over listings, branding and exact trading pairs
  
  
• Create your own markets, like MYCOIN/USDT
  
  
• Direct listings for both internal coins (asset that only exists on your exchange) and external ones like Ethereum tokens or Bitcoin that can be deposited and withdrawn

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The Easy Step-by-Step: List Your Token in Minutes

Here’s how it works using HollaEx®:

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1. Login to Your Exchange Operator Panel

You’ll need to be the admin of a running HollaEx® exchange. Once logged in, head to the Operator Controls.

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2. Add a New Asset (Token) to your crypto platform

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Under Assets, click "Create/add asset" and enter your token details:

• Symbol (e.g. MYCOIN)
  
  
• Display name and logo
  
  
• Blockchain type (Bitcoin, ERC-20, BEP-20, etc.)
  
  
• Contract address (for Ethereum tokens)
  
  
• Decimals and explorer URL
  
  

For custom tokens, especially on Ethereum, this is where you plug in your 'contract' which a long string of text and numbers.

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3a. Define a Trading Pair (Orderbook)

Now, go to the Pairs section and create a trading market:

• Choose a base (e.g. MYCOIN)
  
  
• Choose a quote (e.g. USDT, USDC, or USD)
  
  
• Set fees, precision, min/max amounts
  
  

You’ve just created your own token market!

One of the advantage of using a orderbook market is that it lends itself really well to building a price history chart but may require signifcant capitial and attention to generate that price chart. Alternatively for new coins and market makers, it is recommended to create an OTC Broker market instead 👇, read 3b. below.

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3b. Create an OTC market pair

For OTC markets it is the same process and even easier to manage OTC markets and generally are much easier to manage especially when comparing to an orderbook:

• Choose a base (e.g. MYCOIN)
  
  
• Choose a quote asset that will price the base asset and if this price is static or dynamic pricing
  
  
• Set fees parameters such as min/max and connect a source wallet
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You’ve just created an OTC desk for your token. Now you just need to add liquidity.

4. Market Goes Live Instantly

Once you enable the pair and your users are onboarded, trading is live.

You can even use bots to bootstrap liquidity or invite early community traders for your orderbook market.

For OTC Broker Desk markets, the liquidity management is simpler, just set a dynamic price (or static) and link up an account (Source Wallet) with enough funds to sell and buy the token.

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Why This Matters for Token Creators

Token creators, businesses, tokenized assets, DAOs, and crypto startups often focus on tokenomics, community, and utility, not infrastructure. But without listing, your token has no price discovery, no visibility, and no way to be fairly traded and distributed.

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As the early PayPal execuative Reid Hoffman famously said:

“Having a great idea for a product is important, but having a great idea for product distribution is even more important.”

By using tried and true white-label exchange solutions like HollaEx®, you:

• Get full sovereignty over your listings
  
• Avoid the bottlenecks of centralized exchanges
  
• Offer professional trading UX such as personalized OTC trading desks for your token, advanced orderbooks, depth charts and optional KYC system — from day one
• Carve your own distribution channel

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🎙️ Watch and listen as top software leaders on SourceForge above discuss how crypto software matters in business and the extra profit paths it can create for startups and large businesses alike.

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BONUS: Real Token Example — LMGX Approaching Listing the Right Way

Let’s take LMGX, a utility token by LM Group, as a blueprint for setting up and listing a crypto token the legit way.

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Step 1: Define the Token Clearly

LMGX is a utility token used to streamline transactions across LM Group’s platforms. That clarity of purpose is essential for exchange listing — whether you're listing on your own exchange or approaching others.

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Pro Tip: Use Proper Metadata

When adding a new token to your exchange, always provide:

• Token symbol (e.g. LMGX)
  
• Network (ERC-20, BEP-20, etc.)
  
• Contract address
  
• Logo (& or icon) and display name (LMGroupToken)

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This is the bare minimum needed for most exchanges, including HollaEx®, to recognize and enable trading for your asset.

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Step 2: Explain the Token’s Tokenomics to Build Trust

Even simple breakdowns help prove legitimacy. Using LMGX token again as example:

• 40% for public sale
  
• 15% liquidity pool
  
• 10% product development
  
• 5% for team (with lock-up)
• etc…
  

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Exchanges (and users) want to see smart allocation, especially liquidity and lock-up terms. If you’re self-listing on your exchange using white-label software such as HollaEx®, this info can be made part of your exchange's announcement and can include a coin info page directly on your exchange.

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Step 3: Launch Trading Pair

Using HollaEx®, LM Group set up a live market on their own exchange, LMGX/USDT, demonstrating exactly how a token listing should be done. This includes configured fees, limits, and wallet support.

Also, consider launching a private OTC desk for your token, this allows for easier price control and liquidity management for both sell and buy side. You can watch a video of how to setup an OTC below.

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Now pair your wallet with a wallet integration for live deposit and withdrawals and branding, it becomes a fully operational token market — no approvals or wait times.

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Explain the Future Outlook

Finally, give the long term view on your token, for example in the case of LMGX, the plan is to convert into equity via an STO in 2027 — a strong signal of long-term vision. Including milestones like this in your token page builds investor confidence and market credibility.

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Start Today — The Open Exchange Era Is Here

Forget begging centralized exchanges. With tools like HollaEx®, you are the exchange.

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🪑 For simple market creation read our OTC desk setup docs

🔗 Read the full listing guide here