How to Launch a Token in 2026: A Market Maker's Perspective

This is not a guide on launching a token/coin, but an educational article about the questions and challenges a future Web3 project founder may face. Of course, there are many options for launching your own token - from simple ones like "created for myself" to more serious ones.

Therefore, each launch, creation, and development of a project is unique. Here I will talk about the "classic" path of launching a coin, which I divided into 3 stages.

Stage 1 - Creating a Smart Contract

Let's assume you've already chosen: the ticker, the token name, and how many coins will be in circulation.

The next important decision is choosing the blockchain on which your coin will be. And it's not that simple - there are a number of key factors you should consider:

The blockchain's ecosystem itself - what DeFi protocols already exist in this blockchain and how developed the network is: how many transfers, how many active addresses, what transaction volume per day. These parameters show the potential primary market your coin will enter, and how easy it will be for users to start interacting with it.

A simple fact: the bigger the blockchain, the more often it's integrated into various aggregators where your token can potentially be tracked.

Also important here is the ease of deposit/withdrawal: how many CEXs support deposits and withdrawals for this blockchain.

No matter how you look at it, all of this affects accessibility: the more popular the network, the more potential token holders.

Only a few will study a new network for them, create a wallet, and transfer money there to buy a token they like. But many will buy a coin if they already have a wallet on this network - it's literally 3 clicks.

Factors also worth considering when choosing a blockchain: fees, ease of use, long-term perspective, grants.

Stage 2 - DEX Launch

If there are no unique agreements, it's better to choose the most popular DEX. Here, as with the blockchain: the higher the popularity, the more aggregators monitor it, the higher the visibility, better technical support and platform development.

As soon as a pool is created on a DEX, the project gets its own micro-infrastructure: various DEX aggregators see the new pool and start tracking the coin. It can be tracked on Dexscreener, CoinGecko Terminal, DEX section on CoinMarketCap.

Market cap / pool age / number of holders / liquidity will already be displayed.

Stage 3 - CEX Listing

This is the most serious stage because it means the project is ready to invest in infrastructure and its development. CEX listings don't come cheap, even if the listing itself is free: exchanges require holding liquidity in the token and in $ and having a market maker for constant pair support.

The most important thing before listing on a CEX is to clearly understand the goal.

It can be: entering a new market, increasing significance, ecosystem development. Different CEX exchanges are suitable for different goals.

If you want to enter a new market with live traders and potentially gain new holders - focus on Tier-2/3 exchanges (depending on budget and objectives).

If the goal is to get on leading rating platforms (CoinMarketCap/CoinGecko) as cheaply and quickly as possible, you can choose any exchange that is tracked on these platforms.

But before listing, check the exchange's history and how long it has been operating in the market!

Conclusion

If you want to create a quality project - think through the development and creation plan before taking any action. When making decisions, always use logic and criteria - this will give you the opportunity to look at the situation objectively and find the most profitable path.