ZenIP IDEA: Exchange Listings and Marketing Allocation

General
1

Abstract

This ZenIP authorizes the Horizen Foundation to allocate up to 100,000 ZEN from Horizen DAO Treasury funds over a two year period for exchange related marketing initiatives, including but not limited to centralized exchange (CEX) listings, liquidity programs, and strategic promotional activities that support the visibility and accessibility of $ZEN.

The intent is to give the Foundation operational flexibility to secure listings on reputable exchanges while maintaining DAO oversight and respecting the guiding values of transparency, accountability, and ecosystem growth.

Motivation

Global liquidity and exchange access remain key to ZEN’s market health and adoption.

Currently, DAO Treasury funds are primarily governed by ZenIP 42411, which focuses on on-chain liquidity provisioning. However, off chain liquidity via CEX listings also plays an essential role in supporting token availability, price stability, and user reach particularly as Horizen 2.0 expands into the Base ecosystem.

This ZenIP creates a clear and bounded framework for the Foundation to execute exchange related initiatives while ensuring spending remains within DAO approved parameters.

Specification

  • A maximum of 100,000 ZEN may be utilized over 24 months from the Horizen DAO Treasury’s Incentives/Participation allocation defined in ZenIP 42409.

  • Scope of Use:
    Funds may be used for:

    • Exchange listing, integration, or security deposit fees (e.g., Gate.io, OKX, Upbit, Bithumb).

    • Marketing campaigns, trading competitions, or awareness activities conducted in coordination with exchange partners.

    • Related professional services such as compliance, market making, or promotional partnerships required to complete listings.

  • Reimbursement to the Horizen Foundation for any exchange related costs it may have advanced prior to DAO fund disbursement, provided such expenses fall within the approved scope and are documented in subsequent transparency reports.

  • Implementation:

    • The Horizen Foundation will act as executor of these initiatives.

    • Each expenditure must be reviewed by the Special Council prior to payment for oversight and confirmation of compliance with DAO objectives.

    • The Foundation may determine the sequencing and timing of expenditures based on market opportunities and strategic impact.

    • If time sensitive opportunities require the Foundation to advance funds before DAO reimbursement (e.g., an exchange security deposit or listing commitment), such payments must be reported to the Special Council and may be reimbursed under this ZenIP once the DAO allocation is active.

  • Reporting:

    • The Foundation shall include semi annual summaries of expenditures under this ZenIP in its transparency reports.

    • Exact commercial terms with exchanges may remain confidential, but aggregated amounts and results (e.g., new listings achieved, trading volume impact) must be disclosed.

  • Duration:
    This authorization remains valid for 24 months from approval date, or until the 100,000 ZEN budget is fully expended whichever comes first.
    Any unspent ZEN after this period will remain in the DAO Treasury.

Rationale

The Horizen DAO Constitution empowers the Foundation to “disburse treasury assets to fund community approved initiatives, enter into contracts with service providers, or otherwise further its purpose of growing the Horizen ecosystem.”
Because exchange listings and liquidity initiatives are community beneficial yet require confidentiality, a structured authorization with oversight is the most practical way to execute them transparently without disclosing sensitive negotiation details.

Security and Privacy Considerations

Funds will be transferred only from verified DAO multisig addresses to authorized Foundation wallets, maintaining full on-chain traceability.
Commercially sensitive agreements (e.g., with exchanges or market making partners) may remain off chain under NDA, but all transactions will be recorded for audit and transparency reporting.

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I like this zenip because It gives us options to apply for some exchanges ( I think we should get listed to Upbit, Bithumb, Kraken and Bitfinex) and we can negotiate. We need Upbit or Bithumb for our Korean community, Kraken for fiat to crypto onboard gate (coinbase isnt available to a lot of countries) and Bitfinex for ZEN lending. We could also use funds for marketing campaigns, lobbying, partnerships etc. But also even after accepting this zenip every decision is placed in front of the Horizen council for one more round of confirmation and voting.

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So the BD team from HL labs will not be talking to exchanges on behalf off Horizen anymore? The fundation team will handle BD side of things when it comes to talking with exchanges?

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My overall feedback

This proposal makes strategic sense if executed with the right guardrails.

Improving ZEN’s exchange accessibility is important, especially as Horizen expands into the Base ecosystem. On-chain liquidity and off-chain liquidity complement each other - healthy order books on both sides support price stability and user growth.

Why it’s generally a good idea

  • Expands ZEN’s reach and accessibility in key regions.

  • Helps reduce spreads and improve liquidity around Base pools.

  • Gives the Foundation operational flexibility while keeping DAO oversight.

  • Covers real-world costs (security deposits, market-making, co-marketing) that are often required to make listings effective.

My main concerns

  • Exchange listing ROI is unpredictable and short-lived if not paired with sustained liquidity.

  • Paying venues that publicly list tokens for free (e.g., Coinbase) could create bad optics.

  • Privacy-coin history means some regions (like Korea) are uncertain or may reject listings.

  • Market-making contracts and token loans can create misaligned incentives if not tightly controlled.

Constructive suggestions

  1. Limit spend to reputable venues (e.g., CCData ≥ BB or CoinGecko Trust Score ≥ 8).
  2. Set both a 100 000 ZEN and USD soft-cap (~$2 M) to avoid overspend if price moves.
  3. Require at least two quotes for any single deal above 20 %.
  4. Publish quarterly (not semi-annual) transparency reports with aggregated results.
  5. Disallow “listing fees” on exchanges that officially don’t charge them - funds there can only support compliant co-marketing or liquidity programs.
  6. Include clear KPIs (bid-ask spread, 2 % depth, new user reach, DEX-CEX price alignment).
  7. Allow DAO to revoke unused authorization if two quarters of KPIs are missed.

Verdict = Support with amendments

The budget is reasonable for a two-year horizon. With stronger transparency and venue-quality criteria, this ZenIP can responsibly improve ZEN’s visibility and liquidity without risking waste or reputational issues.

1 Like
5

This looks like the best approach towards listing on reputable exchanges. To put it simple for non technical people, this proposal gives the Foundation the freedom to get $ZEN listed on more exchanges and improve liquidity, which makes it easier for people to buy and trade. It also keeps everything transparent and under DAO oversight, so funds are used responsibly.