Binance review 2026
The deepest liquidity and biggest catalogue in crypto — but since 1 July 2026 no longer available to EEA users.
ExchangeFacts verdict
Binance is the world's largest crypto exchange by volume, with the deepest liquidity and the broadest catalogue — 350+ crypto assets plus 7,000+ tokenised stocks. For EEA users it ended on 1 July 2026: Binance did not obtain its MiCA licence before the end of the transition period, withdrew its Greek application on 24 June 2026 and had to leave the EEA. The Netherlands had already closed in 2023, after a €3.33 million DNB fine.
Binance left the EEA on 1 July 2026 without a MiCA licence. Balances remain withdrawable and no end date has been communicated — we track that on our closed exchanges page.
Best suited for
Overview
Binance is the world’s largest crypto exchange by volume. For Europeans that stopped mattering on 1 July 2026: Binance withdrew its Greek MiCA application, the only one it had running, on 24 June 2026 and ceased serving the EEA. The Netherlands had closed earlier — left in 2023 after a € 3.33 million DNB fine.
Licensing & regulation
- MiCA: no licence — Greek application withdrawn on 24 June 2026, EU services discontinued as of 1 July 2026
- MiFID II: no
- DNB fine: €3.33M (2022)
- Netherlands: exited in 2023
Products
| Product | EU status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Spot crypto | Via local entities | 350+ assets globally |
| Perpetuals | Restricted in the EU | Global product |
| Real stocks | Global | 7,000+ stocks, T+2, no W-8BEN, BNB Chain |
| Prediction markets | No | Not offered |
Costs
- Spot maker/taker: 0.10% / 0.10% (base), down to 0% with BNB staking
- Perpetuals: competitive VIP tiers
- BNB staking: lowers fees further
Base spot fees are already low and drop toward 0% with BNB staking, which is a large part of Binance’s appeal for active traders — where it is accessible.
Yield & capital efficiency
- BNB staking: lowers trading fees
- Yield / Earn products: broad global range
- EU availability: restricted for many products
Proof of Reserves
- Frequency: monthly
- Method: Merkle tree / zk-SNARK proofs on major assets
- Coverage: major assets
- Methodology: has faced scrutiny
Track record
- Largest exchange in the world: by trading volume still the number one, with the broadest range on offer and the deepest liquidity.
- No MiCA licence (June 2026): on 24 June 2026 Binance withdrew its licence application in Greece, did not meet the European transition date of 1 July 2026 and informed EU customers that it is discontinuing its crypto services in the European Union. Binance does not appear in the ESMA register of licensed providers in any member state and says it still expects to obtain a licence.
- Settlement of $4.3 billion (November 2023): in the United States Binance pleaded guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act, offering money transmission without a licence and breaching sanctions legislation — not to money laundering itself. Founder Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an anti-money laundering programme, received four months in prison and a personal fine of $50 million on 30 April 2024, and was pardoned by President Trump on 21 October 2025.
- Fine from DNB (the Dutch central bank) of €3,325,000 (April 2022): for offering crypto services in the Netherlands since May 2020 without the legally required registration. Binance announced in June 2023 that it would leave the Dutch market and stopped on 17 July 2023.
- British claim over derivatives (June 2026): approximately 1,700 British investors have brought proceedings against Binance and Changpeng Zhao before the High Court in London and are claiming at least £150 million, because Binance is alleged to have sold leveraged products to British retail investors since the end of 2019 without the required licence. There is no ruling yet.
- Money flows after the settlement: the investigative consortium ICIJ reported in November 2025 that between July 2024 and July 2025 at least $408 million in tether flowed from the Cambodian Huione Group to Binance accounts. The US regulator FinCEN designated Huione as a money laundering risk in May 2025. Binance says it works closely with law enforcement agencies and points out that incoming deposits cannot technically be blocked.
For anyone living in the European Union there is only one point that is decisive: there is no MiCA licence and Binance has announced that it is discontinuing its EU services. The rest of this dossier is context.
Reviewed on 10 August 2026 · Sources: DNB on the fine ↗ · US Department of Justice ↗ · ICIJ on the Huione flows ↗ · FinCEN on Huione ↗
Pros / cons
Pros
- Biggest asset range (350+ crypto, 7,000+ stocks)
- Deepest liquidity
- Extensive product range
- Real shares product
- Low base fees
Cons
- DNB fine history
- Unavailable in the Netherlands
- Complex regulatory patchwork
- Stocks without ACATS or W-8BEN
- T+2 settlement
Score breakdown in detail
Every point is traceable per methodology v1.6 (as of 23 August 2026):
Frequently asked questions
Can Dutch users trade on Binance?
No. Binance stopped serving the EEA on 1 July 2026 after withdrawing its Greek MiCA application. The Netherlands had been closed since 2023.
Is my money safe at Binance?
Monthly PoR exists but has been criticised methodologically. For larger sums, weigh the alternatives.
Does Binance have an EU licence?
There is no known direct EU MiCA licence under the Binance name; access differs by EU country.