Binance has launched a whistleblower reward of up to $5 million as part of a sweeping crackdown on fraudulent third-party “listing agents.”

The exchange warns crypto projects that any individual claiming to influence listings on the exchange is operating illegally.

Binance Offers $5 Million Whistleblower Reward as It Cracks Down on Fake Listing Agents

The announcement, published Wednesday in a transparency update, comes at a sensitive moment for the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.

Binance faces heightened scrutiny over its listing practices following alleged insider trading incidents linked to leaked token information.

In its notice, Binance reiterated that all token listing applications must be submitted exclusively through its official channels, covering Binance Alpha, Futures, and Spot markets.

The exchange stressed that it does not authorize external brokers, consultants, or intermediaries to negotiate, facilitate, or guarantee listings.

“Any party claiming to represent Binance or offering listing-related services in exchange for payment is engaging in fraudulent behavior,” the company said.

Blacklist and Internal Audit Findings

The exchange revealed that an internal audit uncovered repeated cases of individuals and firms misrepresenting themselves as Binance-connected facilitators while soliciting fees from project founders.

As a result, the exchange has blacklisted seven entities and individuals, including:

• BitABC

• Central Research

• May/Dannie

• Andrew Lee

• Suki Yang

• Fiona Lee, and

• Kenny Z

According to Binance, these parties were identified for falsely implying relationships with the exchange or offering paid listing services. The company said legal action would be pursued “where appropriate.”

Blockchain data provider RootData shows that one of the blacklisted groups, Central Research, has previously backed several crypto projects, including Fireverse, Nebula Revelation, AKI Network, Fusionist, and Artyfact.

Of those, only Fusionist (ACE) currently trades on Binance. The exchange did not draw any connection between the blacklist findings and prior listing decisions.

Central Research-Backed Projects. Source: Rootsdata

To encourage reporting, Binance said whistleblowers who provide verifiable evidence of fraudulent activity could receive rewards of up to $5 million, depending on the quality and impact of the information submitted.

Binance Tightens Listing Rules Amid Insider Trading Fallout

As part of the update, Binance published a detailed breakdown of how projects progress through its listing ecosystem, from early-stage exposure on Binance Alpha to Futures and eventual Spot listings.

The exchange emphasized that it does not charge fees for listing applications and that all communications must come directly from a project’s core team.

Projects found to have used intermediaries or middlemen will be immediately disqualified from current and future listing reviews, Binance warned. However, teams that proactively report fraudulent agents may receive priority consideration.

The announcement follows Binance’s confirmation earlier this month that an employee leaked confidential listing information related to the “year of the yellow fruit” meme coin. The exchange’s co-CEO, Yi He, had addressed the incident.  

“Currently, the community is engaging in community behavior unrelated to Binance by issuing coins based on Binance’s official Twitter, my statements, or words excerpted from posts. But we cannot stop posting just because someone might come looking for angles,” she said.

Binance also disclosed that it distributed $100,000 in rewards to five whistleblowers who helped expose the misconduct.

Taken together, the blacklist, bounty program, and stricter enforcement signal a broader effort by Binance to rebuild trust around its listing process.

This is at a time when exchanges face increasing pressure to demonstrate transparency, internal controls, and fair market practices.