BNB Chain has just announced a major upgrade to its $100 million incentive program, shifting the focus from exchange listing rewards to direct investment in high-performing native tokens on its ecosystem.

The program was originally launched in March 2024, aiming to boost liquidity and encourage centralized exchanges (CEXs) such as Binance, Coinbase, Upbit, Kraken, Bybit, OKX, and others to list tokens built on BNB Chain. However, after three weeks of testing, feedback from the community showed that this approach was not as effective as expected — especially for projects in the fields of memecoin, DeFi, AI, and web3 games.

With the new update, BNB Chain will select outstanding projects based on clear criteria: market capitalization over $1 million, having over 300 average daily users, or reaching a total value locked (TVL) of $20 million or more. Security factors are also taken into consideration. Projects that meet the criteria will have their tokens directly bought back by the BNB Chain Foundation for up to $100,000.

An important condition is that the token must be 100% native to BNB Chain — however, tokens that have successfully migrated from other blockchains may also qualify. This move demonstrates BNB Chain's efforts to support the development of a stronger and more dynamic ecosystem, rather than just chasing the number of listings.

Recently, development activity on BNB Chain has been on the rise, especially in the areas of DeFi, AI, web3 gaming, and meme coins. Some of the newly launched projects include:
- Quex Tech (blockchain infrastructure),
- Crypto Use (payment solution),
- BNB4.AI (AI launchpad for Web3 projects),
- Market.Win (oracle-based prediction market platform).

This is considered a strategic move by BNB Chain in the race to attract high-quality projects, similar to the way some platforms are incentivizing ecosystem activities through direct investment - a model that is gradually replacing traditional incentives. With this direction, BNB Chain shows that they are serious about improving the quality of projects and promoting sustainable growth, similar to the way some platforms like MaxPeer Fund are supporting investors through transparent strategic packages and long-term orientation.