Getting listed on centralized exchanges (CEXs) like MEXC and BingX marks a significant milestone for any crypto project. It grants access to new traders, liquidity, and credibility. However, for most startups, the real challenge is covering the listing costs.
Depending on the project’s size, tokenomics, and marketing goals, listing fees across exchanges can range from $50,000 to over $250,000. This expense can deplete most of their capital for new projects with limited budgets before any trading begins.
That’s why knowing cost-saving tactics for MEXC and BingX listings is essential. With proper preparation, negotiation, and strategic structuring, projects can reduce initial fees, explore creative payment options, and even turn listings into marketing collaborations instead of costs.
This blog post outlines practical strategies for lowering listing expenses, crafting smarter deals, and creating long-term value from your exchange partnership.
Understanding the Cost of Listing
Before looking for ways to save, it’s essential to know what you’re paying for. Exchange listings involve multiple layers of cost, apart from the headline fee.
1. Listing fee
Both MEXC and BingX charge a one-time payment to list your token. This covers administrative, integration, and announcement processes.
- MEXC listing fees can range between $60,000 and $100,000, depending on your project’s visibility.
- BingX tends to be more selective, with listing packages often starting around $80,000 to $120,000, including optional marketing add-ons.
2. Marketing package
Exchanges typically push marketing bundles including announcements, AMAs, and social posts. These can double the cost if you agree to everything.
3. Deposits and market-making
Many exchanges require refundable deposits or liquidity guarantees. A MEXC listing, for instance, can involve a $30,000–$50,000 refundable deposit to ensure stable liquidity.
4. Hidden costs
- Audit and documentation to meet exchange standards.
- Legal opinion confirming token compliance.
- Ongoing maintenance for wallet integration and updates.
Understanding these layers helps identify where you can negotiate or offset expenses instead of accepting the standard offer.
Negotiate Better Terms Before You Commit
Exchanges are businesses, not gatekeepers. Their primary goal is to list credible tokens that attract users and trading volume. This gives you leverage to negotiate.
Offer partial payments in tokens
Most exchanges will consider participating in the marketing or listing fee in your project’s native token. It reduces cash burn while still giving them upside as your token appreciates.
Use performance-based milestones
Instead of paying the full amount upfront, structure the deal around results. For instance:
- 40% of payment upon listing confirmation
- 30% after meeting liquidity or volume targets
- 30% after completing post-listing marketing deliverables
Trade exposure for equity or collaboration
If your project has strong community traction or partnerships, propose exchange collaborations. For example, offer exclusive staking programs or shared marketing events instead of pure payment.
Back negotiations with data
Exchanges respect numbers. Showcase your project’s trading volume on DEXs, Telegram, and X engagement, or active holder count. Projects with solid traction are often offered better rates because they bring guaranteed traffic.
Use Token Allocations and In-Kind Payments
Many exchanges accept creative deal structures that include token-based or non-cash contributions.
Pay part of the fee in your own token
Offering a percentage of your token supply as part of the deal creates alignment. Exchanges benefit as your token’s popularity grows, and you conserve your USDT or USDC reserves.
Offer staking or liquidity incentives
Provide the exchange with liquidity pairs or staking rewards for its users. This offsets their need to fund liquidity internally. It also creates user engagement, which exchanges value more than a flat payment.
Provide marketing value instead of cash
Offer to run your own community campaigns, influencer pushes, or content creation in place of their in-house marketing. This can save 20–40% of the “mandatory” marketing portion in some listings.
Meet or Exceed Listing Requirements to Avoid Extra Fees
Exchanges often charge higher fees to projects that require extra due diligence. Meeting or surpassing listing requirements in advance can help reduce those costs.
Have complete documentation
Ensure your smart contract audit, tokenomics sheet, and legal opinion are ready. A clean audit report can shorten listing time and eliminate “integration risk” charges.
Show pre-listing community strength
MEXC and BingX both value audience size. A project with an active Telegram of 10,000+ members and verified holders on-chain appears more credible. This gives you leverage to request fee reductions or token-based alternatives.
Prove liquidity and volume potential
Demonstrate real demand through pre-listing DEX volume. If your token already records consistent swaps on Uniswap or Jupiter, exchanges see less risk and often reduce the refundable deposit amount.
Prepare in advance for compliance
Having KYC-ready executives and clear token documentation prevents costly delays during review. Every day of delay can translate to higher integration and holding fees.
Optimize Market Making and Liquidity Setup
After the listing, liquidity management becomes a recurring expense. Reducing this cost can save you thousands over time.
- Use lightweight market-making firms: Instead of large exchanges’ in-house services, work with smaller or algorithmic firms that charge less while maintaining healthy spreads. Firms like Gotbit or Kairon Labs offer scalable packages for smaller tokens.
- Implement phased liquidity: You don’t need to frontload all liquidity. Start small and scale with volume. This approach keeps slippage low without locking too much capital early.
- Bridge liquidity smartly: If your token is live on multiple chains, use existing DEX liquidity to supplement the exchange pool. It’s more efficient than raising entirely new liquidity reserves.
- Track liquidity metrics: Monitor your token’s spread, depth, and trading pairs daily. If volume stabilizes, you can pull back unnecessary liquidity or reduce reliance on paid market makers.
Time Your Listing for Maximum Leverage
Timing can significantly affect the deal you get.
- List during quieter seasons: When major projects aren’t listed, exchanges have more bandwidth and are often open to flexible deals. Late Q2 or early Q4 historically offers better negotiation windows.
- Take advantage of exchange promotions: Both MEXC and BingX run periodic discount campaigns such as “Listing Seasons” or “New Chain Weeks.” Projects listed during these windows can save up to 30% on marketing fees.
- Align with trending market narratives: Exchanges prioritize tokens in hot sectors like AI, gaming, or RWA (real-world assets). Positioning your token in one of these categories improves your chances of discounted or fast-tracked listings.
- Coordinate with community hype cycles: Plan your listing when your engagement metrics are peaking. Exchanges notice rising traction and are more likely to negotiate favorable terms when you’re trending organically.
Bundle Promotion and Marketing Yourself
Exchanges often upsell promotional packages, but many of those services can be handled in-house or through agencies like Hyperfomo.
Offer to run your own campaigns
If you already have partnerships with influencers or KOLs, inform the exchange. This allows you to skip their bundled PR and cut thousands in costs.
Cross-promote on your channels
Use your Telegram, Discord, and X presence to generate visibility. Exchanges value community reach—if you bring attention to their platform, they’ll often offset part of the listing fee.
Collaborate with other projects
Joint campaigns, meme challenges, or token swaps with existing exchange-listed projects increase visibility without additional ad spend.
Measure ROI per channel
Track conversions and engagement per campaign. By proving that your marketing efforts perform better than standard exchange campaigns, you can negotiate for reduced renewal or feature costs in future listings.
Post-Listing: Recouping and Reinvesting Savings
Your cost optimization shouldn’t stop after listing. Focus on using your savings to build sustained volume and holder retention.
Hit refund milestones
If you paid a refundable deposit, track the metrics tied to its release. Exchanges return deposits when your token meets consistent trading volume or user growth benchmarks.
Maintain regular engagement
Continue X, Telegram, and Discord activity. The more active your community, the higher your token’s retention rate—and exchanges reward that through future promotions.
Run trading competitions
Low-cost competitions can create bursts of volume that attract exchange visibility. Offer tokens, NFTs, or whitelist spots as rewards.
Reinvest savings into liquidity and marketing
Redirect saved listing funds into liquidity pools, influencer marketing, or staking programs. These generate long-term ROI instead of one-time exposure.
How Hyperfomo Helps Projects Save on CEX Listings
At Hyperfomo, we help crypto brands approach listings strategically instead of reactively. Our focus is on maximizing visibility while minimizing upfront spend.
We assist projects with:
- Negotiation support: Presenting traction data and community metrics that improve your bargaining position.
- Token-based payment structures: Designing hybrid payment models that conserve cash.
- Marketing replacement planning: Running PR, influencer, and community campaigns independently from the exchange.
- Liquidity optimization: Partnering with cost-efficient market makers and setting scalable liquidity frameworks.
- Post-listing analytics: Measuring trading impact and ROI from listings to inform future decisions.
With offices across the US, UK, and UAE, we work closely with projects to ensure that every dollar spent on listings converts into measurable growth and visibility.
Conclusion
Getting listed on MEXC or BingX doesn’t have to break your budget. With clear preparation, strong community data, and smart negotiation, projects can secure listings while saving significant costs.
Listing on MEXC or BingX can cost over $100K, but projects can cut fees through negotiation, token-based payments, and optimized liquidity. By preparing audits, community data, and offering in-kind marketing, founders save up to 40% while securing strong listings and lasting visibility.
The key is to treat listings as partnerships, not transactions. Exchanges want volume and engagement as much as you want visibility. When you present your project as a growth driver rather than a risk, listing teams are far more open to flexible deals.
By using these cost-saving hacks for MEXC and BingX listings, you can direct more of your capital toward building community, maintaining liquidity, and scaling marketing, where the real long-term returns come from.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to list on MEXC or BingX?
MEXC listings generally range from $60,000 to $100,000, while BingX can cost between $80,000 and $120,000, depending on token traction, marketing needs, and liquidity requirements. Fees vary based on project maturity and the exchange’s promotional packages.
Can projects negotiate listing fees with MEXC or BingX?
Exchanges often accept flexible deals, especially from projects with strong communities or proven DEX volume. Teams can negotiate token-based payments, milestone-based structures, or shared marketing partnerships to reduce upfront cash costs.
What are the hidden costs of CEX listings?
Beyond the main fee, projects must account for smart contract audits, legal opinions, security deposits, and liquidity provisioning. Marketing bundles, influencer partnerships, and technical integrations can also add to the total expense.
How can projects reduce market-making and liquidity expenses?
Partner with cost-efficient market-making firms, deploy phased liquidity strategies, and use existing DEX liquidity when possible. Monitoring spreads and trade depth regularly helps maintain stability without overspending.
Why are MEXC and BingX popular among new tokens?
Both exchanges support emerging projects with accessible liquidity programs, global reach, and strong user bases in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. They offer faster listing timelines and greater flexibility for tokens that demonstrate real community engagement.
