Listing Workflow (step overview)

Step 1 — Intake & Acknowledgement

1. Project submits the online Listing Application and uploads all required documents to the secure portal.
2. Listings Analyst logs the application in the Listings Tracker with unique record ID and timestamp.
3. Automated acknowledgement email is sent to the project team with expected SLA (e.g., "We will review your application within 3-5 business days").
4. Initial assignment of the case to the appropriate analyst based on token type and chain.

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Step 2 — Initial Screening

1. Verify all mandatory fields are present and properly filled: contract address, token name/symbol, blockchain, decimals, and contact information.
2. Perform quick validation checks:
   • Verify contract address format and existence on the appropriate chain explorer (Etherscan, BscScan, etc.)
   • Check website accessibility and whitepaper availability
   • Confirm team contact is reachable via provided email/Telegram
   • Validate basic tokenomics information is consistent
3. If essential items are missing or unclear, send clarification request to the project team with specific requirements.
4. Once all basic requirements are met, move the application to Compliance review stage.

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Step 3 — Compliance & Legal Review

1. Run comprehensive sanctions screening against OFAC, EU, UN, and other relevant sanctions lists for:
   • Project entity and corporate structure
   • All key team members and beneficial owners
   • Any identified partners or advisors
2. Assess token legal classification risk and determine if additional legal opinion is required.
3. Review all KYC documentation for corporate entity and beneficial owners.
4. Check for any historical regulatory issues or ongoing investigations.
5. Document all findings and either approve for next stage or escalate to Legal Lead for deeper review.
6. Update compliance status in the Listings Tracker with detailed notes.

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Step 4 — Security & Contract Review

1. Confirm smart contract is verified on the relevant block explorer with readable source code.
2. Review third-party audit report summary and flag any critical or high-severity findings.
3. If audit is absent or incomplete:
   • Require a professional audit from recognized auditing firm, or
   • Complete internal security checklist and set conditional listing restrictions
4. Analyze contract for:
   • Upgradeable proxies and their security implications
   • Owner control functions (mint, burn, pause, blacklist)
   • Emergency pausing mechanisms and their triggers
   • Transfer restrictions or fee-on-transfer logic
5. Determine required risk controls and monitoring parameters based on findings.
6. Document security assessment and approve or request remediation.

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Step 5 — Commercial Terms & Agreement

1. Negotiate and finalize listing fees based on project tier and market conditions.
2. Discuss market maker arrangements:
   • Initial liquidity commitments
   • Spread requirements and trading volume expectations
   • Revenue share arrangements (if applicable)
3. Execute formal Listing Agreement with all terms clearly documented.
4. Process payment or establish payment terms according to agreement.
5. Create internal billing record and notify Finance team for accounting.

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Step 6 — Technical Integration & Testing

1. Create secure deposit wallet(s) for the token on appropriate blockchain infrastructure.
2. Configure wallet parameters: hot wallet limits, cold storage thresholds, multi-sig requirements.
3. Test deposits & withdrawals thoroughly:
   • On testnet (if available) with comprehensive test scenarios
   • On mainnet with small controlled amounts to verify production behavior
   • Verify deposit address generation and fund crediting
   • Test withdrawal flow end-to-end including confirmations
   • Confirm internal accounting matches on-chain balances
4. Validate token metadata (symbol, name, decimals) from on-chain data and align with UI display.
5. Integrate token into order-matching engine:
   • Create market pairs (e.g., TOKEN/BTC, TOKEN/USDT) in staging environment
   • Test order placement, matching, and settlement
   • Verify fee calculations and trading engine behavior
6. Configure risk controls:
   • Set initial deposit and withdrawal limits
   • Establish hot/cold wallet thresholds
   • Configure monitoring alerts for unusual activity
   • Set up circuit breakers if necessary
7. Coordinate with market-making desk to seed initial order book with liquidity.
8. Complete integration checklist and obtain DevOps sign-off.

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Step 7 — Pre-Go-Live Checks

1. Execute comprehensive pre-launch checklist:
   • Verify all wallets are properly backed up with documented recovery procedures
   • Confirm multi-sig keys are properly distributed and tested
   • Ensure monitoring dashboards are active with correct alerting thresholds
   • Validate rate limiting and DDoS protections are in place
2. Confirm settlements and accounting entries are working correctly:
   • Test trade settlement flows
   • Verify fee calculations across all scenarios
   • Ensure ledger entries match expected behavior
3. Coordinate with Marketing team to finalize:
   • Announcement copy and timing
   • Social media asset preparation
   • Email campaign scheduling
4. Prepare Support team:
   • Distribute FAQ and common issues documentation
   • Brief team on token specifics and potential user questions
   • Ensure escalation procedures are clear
5. Final stakeholder sign-off meeting with all teams represented.

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Step 8 — Go-Live & Launch

1. Enable trading pairs in production environment at the scheduled launch time.
2. Perform immediate smoke tests:
   • Place basic buy and sell orders to verify matching
   • Check order book display and real-time updates
   • Verify fill confirmations and balance updates
   • Test withdrawal routing and processing
3. Publish coordinated announcements:
   • Official exchange blog post
   • Social media posts across all platforms
   • Email notification to user base
   • Trading community notifications (Telegram, Discord)
4. Monitor intensively during first 24-72 hours:
   • Track unusual market activity or price volatility
   • Watch for deposit/withdrawal issues or delays
   • Monitor security alerts and suspicious transactions
   • Review user feedback and support tickets
5. Maintain enhanced staffing for immediate issue response.

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Step 9 — Post-Listing Monitoring & Reporting

1. Implement automated monitoring for first 30 days:
   • On-chain transaction monitoring
   • Matching engine performance and anomalies
   • Wallet health and balance reconciliation
   • Market activity and liquidity metrics
2. Generate and review weekly reports for the first month:
   • Trading volumes and user adoption metrics
   • Deposit/withdrawal success rates and issues
   • Customer support tickets and complaint analysis
   • Suspicious activity reports and AML alerts
   • Market maker performance vs. commitments
3. Conduct 30-day review meeting with all stakeholders to assess:
   • Overall listing success and any challenges
   • Recommendations for process improvements
   • Decision on ongoing monitoring frequency
4. If critical problems occur at any point, immediately activate delisting contingency plan (see FAQ 8).

Regulatory Compliance Requirements