Binance Review 2026: Products, Fees, Licensing, and Availability

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Jan 11, 2026, 7:00 PM

Contents

Binance in brief

Item	Details
Founded	July 2017
Founders	CZ (Changpeng Zhao), Yi He
Current CEO	Binance operates with co-CEOs: Richard Teng and Yi He
What it is	A global crypto exchange and broader blockchain ecosystem (trading, Earn, payments, Web3/NFT, institutional services, education, research, charity)
KYC	Identity verification is required for all users
Spot trading fee (standard)	0.1% per trade for regular users; optional BNB fee payment discount (25%)
Restricted access	Service availability depends on jurisdiction; some countries are explicitly prohibited

A quick history (and why Binance became “the default” for many traders)

Binance launched in July 2017 and scaled at breakneck speed, helped by an aggressive focus on liquidity, fast listings, and a product roadmap that expanded from simple spot trading into an entire trading-and-utility ecosystem. Over time, Binance positioned itself not just as an exchange, but as a suite: trading tools for beginners, advanced instruments for power users, and institutional-grade execution rails for larger participants.

Leadership-wise, Binance publicly lists CZ (Changpeng Zhao) as co-founder and former CEO, and Yi He as co-founder and co-CEO. The company also lists Richard Teng as co-CEO.

Licensing and regulation: where Binance says it is licensed/registered

Binance states it works with regulators globally and publishes a list of “licenses, registrations, authorisations and approvals” held by Binance group entities. Below is a structured summary of the jurisdictions and statuses Binance lists (grouped for readability).

Global / Middle East

Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM): Binance.com is described as regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) via multiple licensed entities, including recognition as a Recognised Investment Exchange and Recognised Clearing House, and permissions covering activities such as dealing, arranging, custody, and money services (as described by Binance).
Bahrain: Binance states group entities hold Central Bank of Bahrain licensing (including a Crypto-Asset Service Provider license category, and a payment-related ancillary services license for a group entity).
Dubai: Binance states Binance FZE has a VASP license from the Dubai Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA), enabling services including broker-dealer, exchange (including derivatives), management/investment services, and lending/borrowing (as described by Binance).

Europe

France: Binance states Binance France SAS is registered as a Digital Asset Service Provider (DASP) with the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), and lists regulated services such as custody, purchase/sale for legal tender, exchange, and platform operation (as described by Binance).
Italy: Binance states Binance Italy S.R.L. has a DASP registration with the Organismo Agenti e Mediatori (OAM) for exchange and custody (as described by Binance).
Spain: Binance states Binance Spain, S.L. is registered as a VASP with the Bank of Spain for exchange and custody (as described by Binance).
Poland: Binance states Binance Poland Sp. z o.o. has VASP registration (as described by Binance).
Sweden: Binance states Binance Nordics AB is registered as a financial institution for management/trading in virtual currency with the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority, and mentions a broad product scope (as described by Binance).

Asia-Pacific

Australia: Binance states a group entity (trading as Binance Australia) has Digital Currency Exchange registration with AUSTRAC.
India: Binance states a group entity is registered as an offshore reporting entity with the Financial Intelligence Unit – India.
Indonesia: Binance notes Tokocrypto (an affiliated/local platform) obtained a Physical Crypto Asset Trader license from Bappebti (as described by Binance).
Japan: Binance states Binance Japan Inc. is regulated by the Japan Financial Services Agency (JFSA) as a Crypto Asset Exchange Service Provider (as described by Binance).
New Zealand: Binance states a group entity is registered on the financial service providers register (and also explicitly notes this is registration, not licensing/active oversight by a NZ regulator, as described by Binance).
Thailand: Binance states Gulf Binance holds digital asset operator licenses via Thailand’s Ministry of Finance and SEC framework (as described by Binance).

Commonwealth of Independent States / Central Asia

Kazakhstan: Binance states an entity holds licenses from the Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) in the Astana International Financial Centre for trading facility operation, custody, and dealing as principal (as described by Binance).

Americas

Mexico: Binance states a group entity has a “Vulnerable Activity” registration with the Tax Administration Service (SAT) for AML/TF compliance (as described by Binance), and describes a separate group entity regulated for electronic payment funds services for local payment rails (as described by Binance).
El Salvador: Binance states it holds Digital Asset Services Provider and Bitcoin Services Provider licenses, and lists the scope of permitted regulated services (as described by Binance).
Argentina: Binance states it is registered as a VASP with the national securities commission registry (as described by Binance).
Brazil: Binance describes a relationship enabling payment solutions through a licensed local securities brokerage entity (as described by Binance).

Africa

South Africa: Binance describes certain crypto products/services offered under an exemption and also references futures/options offered via a representative arrangement (as described by Binance).

Important practical takeaway: licensing is not “one global license.” Binance describes a network of group entities and local registrations/licensing arrangements, and product availability can vary sharply by jurisdiction and client type.

Full product and service catalog (what Binance offers)

Binance’s ecosystem is broad. Some features may be limited by region, user eligibility, or product-specific rules, but here is the full menu Binance presents across its platform and related properties.

1) Core trading

Spot trading: Buy/sell crypto on the spot market.
Margin trading: Borrowing to increase exposure (higher risk).
Derivatives (where available):
- Futures: Perpetual/dated contracts (riskier; fees and rules differ).
- Options: Options markets (availability varies).
Convert: Quick conversion between assets with a simplified flow.
P2P trading: Marketplace-style buying/selling between users, typically with local payment methods in supported regions.
OTC & execution (institutional/VIP focus): Block trading, RFQ, and execution solutions designed for larger orders and professional clients.

2) “Trade smarter” tools

Copy Trading: Follow “lead traders” and replicate strategies (Binance describes availability for Spot and Futures in selected locations).
Trading Bots: Automated strategies such as grid bots and other bot categories.
APIs (developer + quant access): Binance provides a developer platform for Spot APIs and related endpoints; also supports institutional execution tooling and API access in OTC contexts.

3) Earn, staking, and structured products

Simple Earn / Savings-style products: Earn yield by subscribing assets into on-platform earn products.
Staking (including ETH staking references in Binance’s product list): Stake supported assets under product rules.
Auto-Invest: Programmatic periodic investing into selected assets.
Dual Investment / structured earn products (where available): Yield products with specific settlement outcomes depending on price conditions.
Loans / borrowing (where available): Borrowing products that use crypto collateral.

4) Payments and spending

Buy Crypto: Fiat-to-crypto entry rails (availability and payment methods vary by region).
Pay / Crypto payments: Binance Pay and related payment features for transferring or paying in crypto under supported conditions.
Card: Binance-branded card offerings in eligible regions (availability varies).
Gift Card: Gift card product for sending value.

5) Token launches and airdrop-style participation

Launchpool: Lock supported assets and receive token airdrops; distribution is calculated based on your share of total locked amount and accumulated over time.
Launchpad: Token launch platform for projects.
Megadrop: A launch/airdrop-style platform combining elements of Earn and Web3 participation (as described by Binance Academy).

6) Web3 and NFTs

NFT marketplace: Binance’s NFT platform and related features (fees and mechanics depend on the NFT product flow).
Web3 wallet / wallet-related services: Binance references wallet functionality and Web3 tooling in its ecosystem (availability and features can vary).

7) Education, research, and community

Academy: Free crypto/blockchain education hub (articles, glossary, courses).
Research: Institutional-style reports and analysis published by Binance Research.
Square: A content/community feed aggregating posts and discussions (mix of sources).

8) Social impact and industry support

Charity: Binance Charity initiatives and programs.
Labs: Venture/incubation arm referenced in Binance’s ecosystem.
Business applications: Binance lists business-facing portals such as merchant applications and institutional & VIP services.

Account rules, service terms, and “how access actually works”

At a practical level, Binance access works like this:

Account creation + identity verification: Binance requires identity verification for all users.
Jurisdiction gating: Products may be restricted based on where you live and what Binance entity serves your region.
Product-by-product rules: Even inside the same account, a user may have access to spot but not derivatives, or may face limits tied to compliance requirements.
Risk controls and warnings: Higher-risk products (margin/derivatives) generally come with additional suitability-style steps, disclosures, or rules in some regions.

Fees, charges, and what you pay for

Trading fees (spot)

Standard fee for regular users: 0.1% per trade.
BNB fee discount: If you choose to pay trading fees with BNB, Binance describes a 25% discount (bringing 0.1% down to 0.075% under that discount structure).
VIP tiers: Binance also operates a tiered fee system for higher-volume users (lower rates at higher tiers).

Deposits and withdrawals

Crypto withdrawals: Binance explains that withdrawing to external addresses typically incurs a network fee (paid to miners/validators rather than Binance) and that the fee is shown during the withdrawal flow before confirmation.
Fiat deposits/withdrawals: Fiat rails can have channel-specific fees depending on method and region (bank transfer rails and payment providers differ). Binance’s support materials describe that fees vary by channel and context.

P2P fees

P2P fees can differ by role (maker/merchant) and region. In practice, P2P pricing is often expressed through spreads and merchant pricing rather than a simple “exchange fee” model for every user, and exact conditions depend on the local P2P market setup.

KYC and AML: what Binance requires

Binance states that identity verification is mandatory for all users. This generally means:

You will be asked to complete identity checks as part of onboarding and/or continued use.
Binance operates compliance controls aligned with AML/CTF requirements and may apply additional checks depending on region, product, transaction patterns, or regulatory obligations.

Prohibited countries (where Binance states service is not available)

Binance publishes an explicit “List of Prohibited Countries.” The list includes:
Afghanistan, Albania, Barbados, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Crimea, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Malta, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Russia, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, United States, Venezuela, Yemen, Zimbabwe.

Security and transparency notes (what Binance publicly emphasizes)

Binance operates a Proof of Reserves system that uses Merkle tree properties and a zk-SNARK mechanism to allow users to verify that individual accounts are included within liabilities reporting (as Binance describes). This is positioned as a transparency tool designed to help users validate inclusion within the platform’s liabilities snapshot.

Who Binance fits best

Power users who want many trading modes in one place (spot + derivatives + P2P + bots + APIs).
Beginners who prefer a single platform that also provides education (Academy) and simplified flows (Convert, certain Earn products).
Institutions/VIPs that need execution options like OTC/RFQ and algo-style services.

FAQ

Who runs Binance today?
Binance publicly lists Richard Teng and Yi He as co-CEOs.
When was Binance founded and by whom?
Binance launched in July 2017 and lists CZ (Changpeng Zhao) and Yi He as co-founders.
What are Binance’s standard spot trading fees?
Binance states each spot trade carries a standard 0.1% fee for regular users, with a 25% discount available if you pay fees using BNB.
Does Binance offer copy trading and bots?
Yes. Binance offers Copy Trading (including Spot and Futures in selected locations) and a range of Trading Bots (including grid-style bots and other bot categories).
Does Binance provide APIs for trading?
Yes. Binance maintains a developer platform with Spot API documentation and also supports API-based access in certain institutional/OTC execution contexts.
Is KYC required on Binance?
Yes. Binance states that identity verification is required for all users.
What countries are prohibited?
Binance publishes a “List of Prohibited Countries” (see the dedicated prohibited countries section above for the full list).
What licenses does Binance say it holds?
Binance publishes a licensing/registration list that includes (among others) regulatory statuses in France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Dubai (via VARA licensing), Japan, and additional jurisdictions described in its licensing summary.
Does Binance support token launch programs like Launchpool?
Yes. Binance operates Launchpool, Launchpad, and also describes Megadrop as a structured way to participate in early token programs.
Are withdrawal fees charged by Binance?
For crypto withdrawals, Binance explains that the typical cost is a network fee paid to miners/validators, and the exact amount is displayed in the withdrawal flow before you confirm the transaction.