Coinbase Unveils “The Blue Carpet” and Adds BNB to Listing Roadmap in Strategic Shift

Coinbase surprised the crypto community on Wednesday by launching “The Blue Carpet,” a new issuer-facing listings program, and shortly after, adding Binance’s native token, BNB, to its listing roadmap — a move that signals a potential shift in the exchange’s strategy.

At 4:12 p.m. UTC, Coinbase Markets announced The Blue Carpet on X (formerly Twitter), describing it as a more transparent and structured onboarding experience for onchain builders. According to Coinbase’s official blog, the program provides direct access to its listings team, options to update token pages across its centralized exchange and retail DEX, referral perks for services like MiCA whitepaper support and market-maker matching, and limited Coinbase One subscriptions for select project team members. Coinbase reaffirmed that applications and listings remain free, with no obligation to purchase additional services.

Just over 30 minutes later, Coinbase revealed that BNB had been added to its official roadmap. While inclusion on the roadmap doesn’t guarantee a listing, it does signal intent — trading will begin only after liquidity, compliance, and technical criteria are met.

The announcement comes just days after Arca CIO Jeff Dorman criticized Coinbase for listing “some of the worst assets” while ignoring high-performing ones like BNB. Dorman argued that exchanges should either list broadly or curate top assets transparently. By signaling support for BNB — the utility and gas token of BNB Chain — Coinbase appears to be responding to such critiques.

This dual announcement underscores Coinbase’s evolving stance toward rival-affiliated tokens. By pairing The Blue Carpet rollout with the addition of BNB, Coinbase is positioning itself as a more open and competitive exchange — one that aims to balance transparency, compliance, and inclusivity in its asset listings.