For that, you need to apply for listing your cryptocurrency on exchanges. And this is what we would like to assist you in. You can introduce your token to centralized exchanges (CEX) and decentralized exchanges (DEX). If you have a coin with a proprietary blockchain, your only option is centralized exchanges. Let’s look at the listing process for both types of exchanges.

Getting listed on decentralized exchanges (DEXs)

The essence of DEXs is that they conduct exchange transactions automatically through smart contracts deployed on the same network where supported tokens were issued. All this occurs without involving a human. And since the code of smart contracts is public, anyone can inspect it for malicious segments.

This is why many people trust DEXs. The Block has some statistics to prove this fact. In November 2022, DEX trading volume reached $107 million, which made 16% of the total trading volume on centralized exchanges — showing a 563% increase against November 2020.

DEXs became the most popular decentralized apps, handling most transactions on blockchains. They also contribute to DeFi projects by providing their protocols and users with the necessary liquidity.

We will discuss three popular exchanges.

Uniswap

This most popular DEX was launched in November 2018. It became the first DEX capable of rivalling centralized exchanges in terms of trading volumes.

Uniswap V2 operates on the Ethereum blockchain. Released in May 2021, V3 also supports Arbitrum, Celo, Optimism, Polygon.

Here you can create trading pairs with tokens and stablecoins of the ERC-20 standard.

PancakeSwap

This popular DEX was launched in September 2020. At that time, it was only funded by its founders, but today it is financed from its own treasury to which 9% of each trading fee charged is contributed.

PancakeSwap operates on BNB Smart Chain (formerly Binance Smart Chain). Released in December 2022, V2 also supports Aptos and Ethereum.

Here you can create trading pairs with tokens and stablecoins of the BEP-20 standard.

SushiSwap

This DEX was originally introduced in September 2020 as Uniswap’s hard fork. It gained traction as a place that welcomes a dozen blockchains and layers of both levels.

SushiSwap operates on the Ethereum blockchain. From 2021 to 2022, it added support for 12 more networks: Arbitrum, Avalanche, BNB Smart Chain, Celo, Fantom, Fuse, Gnosis, Harmony, Moonbeam, Moonriver, OKExChain, Polygon.

Here you can create trading pairs with tokens and stablecoins of the ERC-20 standard.

What you should know about listing on DEXs

First and foremost, getting listed on a DEX is a prerogative of the tokens working on the same blockchain as the target exchange. For example, Uniswap only accepts ERC-20 tokens, which can only be traded against the tokens issued on the same blockchain.

Secondly, coins with a proprietary blockchain can’t be listed on a DEX. It’s also impossible to create a trading pair with other independent coins (e.g. BTC, DOGE, MATIC) because they aren’t listed on DEXs.

To get around this restriction, developers issue so-called wrapped tokens. For example, Wrapped BTC (WBTC) is a tokenized bitcoin issued under the ERC-20 standard. WBTC holders can utilise Ethereum-based De-Fi protocols and the liquidity of the Bitcoin ecosystem on the Ethereum network.

WBTC tokens are issued through exchanging genuine bitcoins for their wrapped counterparts. And this transaction is performed manually by a restrained scope of persons. The process isn’t transparent and dubious, so we don’t recommend using wrapped bitcoins.

Adding a token to a DEX: A Uniswap example

Let’s look into the process of creating a trading pair (listing a token) on a DEX. For that, we need to build a liquidity pool. This can be done almost for free: we only have to pay the network fee.

Here’s what we will need:

• A crypto wallet. Uniswap supports MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, and WalletConnect.
• The contract address of the ERC-20 token that you are going to take to Uniswap. Your token must be deployed on the Ethereum’s mainnet and available in the crypto wallet. You can get the token’s contract address on Etherscan.io.
• ETH to pay for gas. Adding a new token, exchanging, providing the liquidity — all this needs gas, which is paid with ETH.
• Liquidity to create a pair. We need to freeze the liquidity in both tokens in the pair. For example, you issued a PGT token and want to create a 1:1 pair with USDC for 1000 units. You will need 1000 PGT and 1000 USDC.

Adding a token to Uniswap consists of three steps:

1. Unlock your wallet, connect to Uniswap, and check token availability. For that, go to https://app.uniswap.org and in the top-right corner click Connect wallet. Select MetaMask or another wallet you have, unlock it, and click Connect. Once your wallet is connected, go to https://app.uniswap.org/#/swap, click Select token and find your token. Since this is a user-generated token, it won’t be on Uniswap’s default list. You need to find the token by contract address.
2. Build a liquidity pool. Go to https://app.uniswap.org/#/pool/v2 and click Create a pair. To get listed on Uniswap, you have to provide the liquidity — not just to the token you add but also to the token that will be paired with yours. The ratio in your pair defines the price of your token. For example, you provide 1 ETH and 100 PGT. This means the price will be 0.01 ETH for 1 PGT.
3. Approve tokens on Uniswap to automate transactions. Click Approve on the token name and confirm the transaction in your wallet. After that, click Create a pool and Supply to confirm the token list. MetaMask will request a confirmation, and the network will charge a small fee in ETH for this transaction. Eventually, you will see this message: ‘Transaction submitted — View on Etherscan.’

You have just created a pair and provided the liquidity. Congratulations on getting your token listed on Uniswap!

Getting listed on centralized exchanges (CEXs)

Today, there are more than 300 centralized platforms, 225 of which are represented in the CoinMarketCap catalogue. In most cases, the listing of cryptocurrency on them is paid, and the more renowned the CEX, the more it asks for the service, taking payment only in bitcoins or stablecoins.

There are three tiers of CEXs: Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3. The tier depends on the exchange’s popularity. And the higher the tier, the more difficult it is for a token developer to get listed. But on the other hand, getting featured on a popular exchange generates more value.

Tier 1 exchanges

This is the elite that you can find in CoinMarketCap’s Top 15. It includes such well-known platforms as:

• Binance
• Coinbase Exchange
• Kraken
• KuCoin
• Bitstamp

They need no introduction, so let’s jump to the terms.

To get listed on a Tier 1 exchange, you will have to offer the following:

• A breakthrough idea or technology. If you have just released yet another ERC-20 token and aspire to take it to Binance, get ready for a rejection. The chances are much brighter for projects having a proprietary blockchain or having something innovative.
• A large community. Your project must have a broad interest and see at least 50,000 living followers (not bots) in its main communities.
• A transparent team. All key team members must be real people with proven experience in cryptocurrencies and a LinkedIn profile. Since large CEXs necessarily conduct KYC, they will request identification documents and invite you to a video interview.
• A legal opinion. You need to provide a legal opinion from an accredited legal firm (every exchange has a list of such companies) where it is stated that your cryptocurrency isn’t a tokenized security.
• Participation in accelerators or hackathons. Major CEXs have their own accelerators, for example, Binance Labs. Being a member of such a community boosts your chances.
• Renowned funds who invested in your projects. This requirement may be optional. But if some respected funds are amongst your early investors, you can count on greater listing chances.

The requirements are kind of strict just because the exchange’s reputation is at stake. On top of meeting these requirements, you need to pay a listing fee that may reach 2,000,000 USDT. In some cases, an exchange may require a share in the issue volume instead of the listing fee. And this is a good sign meaning that the exchange has faith in your success and expects to capitalize on your growth.

How getting listed on a Tier 1 exchange can benefit you:

• Trading opportunities. Opening a trading pair allows you to perform transactions, deposit and withdraw cryptocurrency through the exchange.
• Convenient trading. Most traders have accounts with at least 3 major CEXs. Once a new cryptocurrency emerges, they don’t have to sign up again and can start trading right away.
• Audience. A part of the vast audience of major CEXs will take notice of the new project after listing is announced. And some may even want to buy some coins. You can also negotiate a promotion campaign in which the exchange would advertise your project in its channels.
• Trust. A cryptocurrency listed on a respected CEX is definitely not a scam. People believe such exchanges as Binance inspect projects thoroughly before introducing them.

Tier 2 exchanges

These are good average performers from CoinMarketCap’s Top 50. This group includes less well-known platforms such as:

• MEXC
• Upbit
• Poloniex
• Bittrex
• Local, for example, BtcTurk

Tier 2 exchanges usually set softer—and fewer—requirements:

• A breakthrough idea isn’t a requirement but will be an advantage.
• A community is required. But it can serve a medium-size audience.
• Participating in accelerators or investments from renowned funds are just an option.
• A publicly known founder is enough. Team transparency isn’t required.
• A legal opinion may be requested if it is difficult to determine whether the cryptocurrency being added has signs of a tokenized security.

Tier 2 exchanges focus more on earning from listing payments they receive from newcomers. They charge 30,000–300,000 USDT for this service.

How getting listed on a Tier 2 exchange can benefit you:

• Trading opportunities. Opening a trading pair allows you to perform transactions, deposit and withdraw cryptocurrency through the exchange.
• Audience. Average CEXs can serve broad audiences. You can also negotiate a promotion campaign in which the exchange would advertise your project in its channels. This may ignite interest but don’t expect any viral effect.

Tier 3 exchanges

These are all other exchanges who can’t make their way to CoinMarketCap’s Top 50. The lower the rank, the less popular the exchange is.

Tier 3 exchanges are fully concentrated on earning from listing payments they receive from newcomers. They charge 4000–40,000 USDT for this service.

These small-sized CEXs only require a payment and often don’t bother to carry out a KYC. Getting listed on such an exchange could only provide you with a technical opportunity to trade your cryptocurrency. But in 99% of cases traders would have to sign up for a little-known exchange.

Market making after listing

Now that your coin can be traded freely, you need to maintain and manage its price, ensuring sufficient trading volume. This process is called market making.

Remember that the free trade market is a wild one. You will have to oppose professional traders and bots created by exchange founders to suck up your liquidity. This is why a safer way is to delegate market making to a competent team that has automated tools like bots.

You can learn more about it in ‘Market Making for Crypto Projects.’

The Netside team has been involved in coin and token listing for more than 4 years. We have successfully added our clients’ cryptocurrencies to various exchanges. Contact us via Telegram or using the feedback form and tell us what you are going to introduce and where. We will settle everything for you.

CoinMarketCap is the most popular platform for monitoring cryptocurrency prices and a catalogue of crypto exchanges, both centralized and decentralized. Its mission is to make cryptocurrency accessible and efficient, providing people with accurate and unbiased information they can rely on when investing or trading.

CoinMarketCap (CMC) was founded by Brandon Chez in May 2013. In April 2020, it was acquired by Binance Capital Management.

Cryptocurrency listing on CoinMarketCap

For many new cryptocurrencies, getting listed on CoinMarketCap is the number one goal in the project growth plan. This is an essence of long months spent on development and promotion.

How getting listed on CoinMarketCap can benefit a cryptocurrency

• Trust. This is the main reason why cryptocurrency creators are so motivated to get to CMC. If a cryptocurrency is featured in the catalogue, everyone knows it was created by professionals and can be trusted.
• Ability to monitor the price and trading volume. Information provided by such a reliable source as CMC is useful to show in marketing materials.

Criteria for selecting cryptocurrencies

CoinMarketCap states that it employs 5 criteria to evaluate a cryptocurrency. It must:

1. Run on a blockchain or smart contracts, use cryptography, consensus algorithms, and a decentralized network.
2. Be a currency unit used as a means of payment, exchange, or saving.
3. Have a healthy website and a block explorer.
4. Be traded on at least one centralized exchange that has a traceable status on CMC.
5. Assign a representative who will answer all questions about your project.

In practice, CMC also evaluates the following parameters:

In simple words, a project should:

• Generate value, innovation, idea. Yet another regular ERC-20 token won’t go great guns.
• Have a public team with links to key members’ LinkedIn profiles provided.
• Get listed on at least one centralized exchange (preferably three) and see good trading volume. Read more in ‘Getting Listed on Crypto Exchanges.’
• Have an established and active community.

It might be a big deal. But it is totally worth it!

Crypto exchange listing on CoinMarketCap

As with cryptocurrencies, appearing on CoinMarketCap can be a driver for any crypto exchange, primarily in terms of trust. Almost all exchanges strive for this, but only few can succeed.

How getting listed on CoinMarketCap can benefit a crypto exchange

• Trust. This is the main reason why exchanges are so motivated to get to CMC. If an exchange is featured in the catalogue, it is easier for it to gain recognition and user trust.
• Ability to monitor the trading volume. Information provided by such a reliable source as CMC is useful to show in marketing materials.
• Ability to capitalize more on listing cryptocurrencies. Many exchanges generate the main income from paid listings of cryptocurrencies. And presence on the CMC, especially in high positions, can have a big impact on the revenue an exchange will generate from listing cryptocurrencies.

Criteria for selecting crypto exchanges

CoinMarketCap states that it employs 7 criteria to evaluate a crypto exchange. It must:

1. Operate at least 60 days (affiliated exchanges or projects with the same name must have the same length of service).
2. Offer a versatile website demonstrating the trading volume consistent with API data.
3. Publish a consolidated API endpoint that shows the latest price and 24-hour volume of each cryptocurrency.
4. Have direct URLs clearly displaying each cryptocurrency (full name, logo). It’s advisable that there is a ‘System Status’ page that shows all supported cryptocurrencies.
5. Let users view all trading pairs and order books without logging in.
6. Let users place buy and sell orders in the order book. Decentralized exchanges offering no order book are evaluated individually.
7. Assign a representative who will answer all questions about your exchange.

In practice, CMC also evaluates the following parameters:

In simple words, an exchange should:

• Have a public team with links to key members’ LinkedIn profiles provided.
• Operate at least a year. CMC doesn’t like to add new-to-market exchanges.
• Have high trading volume (at least a few million dollars per day).
• Have an established and active community.

Do you need to add your project to CoinMarketCap?

CoinMarketCap has been and will always be a leader in providing comparative data on cryptocurrencies and exchanges. Enjoying 2 million daily visitors, this website sits on the bookmark bar of almost every trader’s browser. And getting listed on CoinMarketCap is worth every effort invested.

But be ready that even if your project meets all the formal requirements CoinMarketCap sets, adding your project may take months. This may be caused by subjective reasons. In some cases, different applications from the same project but handled by different managers saw different response time.

Nobody can guarantee that your project will appear on the list. But if you do your job professionally and consistently, your chances will soar. You might want to rely on a skilled team that will help you through this process.

Netside offers you the following services:

• Preparing technical specs and documents for CMC
• Registering an application with all requirements observed
• A marketing plan and a bunch of lead generation tips

We have been involved in listing for more than 4 years and have brought our own and clients’ crypto projects to CMC. If you want to get featured on CoinMarketCap, contact us via Telegram or using the feedback form and we will settle that for you.

Trading automation

Traders used to place orders using a landline phone and monitor quotes in newspapers. With computerisation came the first trading software followed by online trading. The staggering rise in the speed and amount of information made it difficult for people to trade on exchanges manually. Therefore, the automation of operations is a necessary measure caused by large volumes of data, which is not possible to process manually in order to make a timely decision.

Nowadays traders use algorithms and programs. Ready-made tools become essential for beginners. Amateurs can follow set rules without losing money or sanity due to inexperience. Those tools provide even more benefits to investment and hedge funds, where managers have no room for mistakes. Being an experienced trading software developer, Netside offers customised solutions for those working in various financial markets:

• Stock market
• Foreign exchange market
• Commodity market
• Derivatives market
• Cryptocurrency market.

We are ready to start the first stage today — the terms of reference for the software development. And after discussing the details, we will begin its implementation.

Development of trading bots (automated trading systems)

Fear and greed are emotions that tend to impact trading and cause traders to blow up their accounts. Traders undergoing emotional stress are susceptible to overtrading, oversitting on losses, and premature closing of positions. Trading bots (also known as trading robots or automated trading systems) are designed to protect people from these problems.

Trading bots are programs that automatically follow a trading strategy set by the user. Their decision to buy or sell an asset is based on algorithms that analyse and interpret market data: trading volumes, number of orders, prices, and time. Bots are a vital trading tool. They are capable of analysing the market and executing according to a given data set.

Bots spare people from tedious operations, stick to an established strategy, and instantly react to market trends. They heavily facilitate the work of day traders and scalpers. Another benefit of using trading bots is that they process a large number of parameters simultaneously. No human could pull such a task off quickly and without unnecessary losses.

What bots traders need

Working the exchange around the clock, bots can execute many more trades than a human could. For instance, bots cover almost half of all transactions processed on the London Stock Exchange. There are already many algorithmic funds in the world that trade profitably thanks to bots. Bots boost the efficiency of a portfolio manager, and their autonomy and flexibility of settings for any market determine trading success. They can be configured for different modes of operation:

1. Signalling the right time to buy or sell, when the user only needs to decide whether to make a deal on this signal or not.
2. Automatic mode, in which the bot will trade on its own, and the user only needs to check the results of its work.

Custom-made trading bots are developed with specific features necessary for selecting favourable solutions. They identify signals that help to determine whether to trade or wait. Bots ferret out profitable trades even at low volatility when it is difficult to gauge the trend direction. Their algorithms are capable of making a profit on every trade, even if they are few. When a level breakout occurs, bots are the first to take advantage of the situation and capture maximum potential from it. Such perceptive assistants can be safely entrusted with trend detection.

The development of an automated trading system requires knowledge and skills in two areas at once — programming and exchange trading. Our programmers, along with traders, have been developing custom-made trading bots for 4 years. We can create a trading bot for any exchange and for popular terminals:

• cTrader
• MetaTrader 4 and 5
• NinjaTrader
• Quik
• Web platforms.

The cost of creating a trading bot (automated trading system) starts at 5000 USD.

Netside develops custom solutions with the necessary features needed to trade through certain brokers. Contact us to discuss ordering a trading bot.

Trading bot for Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers is an American brokerage firm that executes trades across 135 markets in 33 countries. It conducts transactions with securities, foreign currencies, commodities, and various derivatives. It is the largest brokerage firm by number of daily transactions and average daily profit. It was ranked the #1 online broker by six different reviewers in 2019 and 2020.

Do you want to make money in the North American, European, and Asian markets? Are you ready for big trades in global markets? Then Interactive Brokers will be your most useful guide with a variety of benefits. Interactive Brokers:

• Is more reliable than many banks and brokers
• Insures client’s securities and money
• Is simple and fast to open an account
• Can provide a service free of charge (subject to certain conditions)
• Pays interest for keeping money in the account
• Checks and analyses trades in real time
• Cooperates with banks that allow deposit and withdrawal for free.

Unlike a person trading, bots are not vulnerable to the human factor. But where can you get this kind of bot? You can look for free options, but they are limited in functionality, and there is no guarantee that it is not a scam. You can buy a ready-made bot, but it would not meet all your requirements. The best option is to develop a trading bot adapted for individual needs, precisely for trading using the specific application programming interface (API) of Interactive Brokers:

1. The Client Portal API is a REST API for trading, monitoring, and managing your account. It provides easy integration and access to account and subaccount data, FYI messages, and more.
2. The Trader Workstation API is a powerful interface for automating your trading strategies, requesting market data, and monitoring your account balance and portfolio in real time.

Developing a bot for Interactive Brokers

A bot for IBKR effectively determines market trends and scans the market looking for opportunities with greater levels of accuracy than humans. Then it creates orders and enters or exits trades automatically while reducing the probability of losses. Here are even more things a bot can do:

• Trade from multiple accounts at the same time
• Automatically stick to one or several strategies
• If an order is cancelled, the bot will place it again once possible
• If an order is partially performed, the bot will place an order to close the executed volume
• Place various exit orders, including stop loss, temporary stop, trailing stop, and others
• Automatically conduct grid trading at set intervals
• Open different positions (long, short, long-short)
• Scale positions by the amount and price set by you
• Create, optimise, and diversify portfolios
• Send notifications by email, messenger, on the screen of your PC or mobile device.

Private traders, investment advisers, hedge fund managers receive the following benefits from a bot for IBKR:

• A simple way to start automated trading
• Full control over how assets are traded via the bot
• Continuous monitoring of the account status to react quickly to changes (risk management).

And this is only a partial list of its features and benefits. To increase profits from trading through IBKR, we recommend ordering a trading bot from us. This automated software is specially designed for productivity trading. With its help, you can profitably trade any financial instruments through IBKR.

Development of trading terminals (electronic trading platforms)

Trading software has been serving financial market participants for the past three decades. At first, they were only used by hedge funds due to the prohibitive cost, but global computerisation has made trading software available to private traders and brokers. Now any professional can buy a ready-made application or order a trading terminal for various exchanges with key functions to facilitate trading.

A trading terminal is software that displays market data and facilitates trades. At the same time, it is not an exchange, as it only provides advanced features for connecting to an exchange. The terminal processes data collected, compiles charts and reports based on that data, puts the necessary parameters into indicators, and more.

Terminals need to be compatible with certain exchanges. Recommended and supported programs are usually listed on the website of each exchange. To start trading, you need to create an account and connect to the exchange via the API, which can be integrated into the application. After integration, this application becomes capable of processing data from the connected exchange.

What terminals traders need

Terminals are also known as electronic trading platforms. Before broadband Internet came along, they were mostly desktop programs. Online platforms are commonly used nowadays, along with mobile trading applications that have basic functions of the platform. When choosing a terminal, experienced traders consider the following characteristics:

1. Maximum tools for trading and analysis.
2. Tuning of various parameters.
3. Installation on different devices (PC, tablet, smartphone).
4. Adjusting the interface to accommodate their preferences.

A terminal for trading currencies, securities, commodities, cryptocurrencies is used by traders who need a complete technical analysis, as the difference between it and the exchange structure is significant. High-quality terminals contain a variety of tools for technical analysis and market monitoring.

The custom-designed trading terminal is easy to master and configure in your own way, and then immediately start trading. The trader can select any necessary tools, adjust them, connect additional plugins, or disable unnecessary functions.

The cost of creating a trading terminal (electronic trading platform) starts at 10,000 USD.

Netside has been researching and developing trading software for 4 years. If you want us to share our best practices or discuss something specific, send your questions via Telegram. We will help you create an automatic tool for making a profit.