One-sentence difference: binance.com is the global international version of Binance covering most countries in the world; binance.us is the US compliant version of Binance intended solely for local US residents, operated by an independent company, BAM Trading. They are two completely different exchanges, with separate accounts, different supported coins, different fee rates, and different KYC requirements. For the vast majority of non-US users, you should be using binance.com rather than binance.us. Users who want to register directly on the Binance Official Site can download the Binance Official APP for convenient subsequent trading. iOS users can read the iOS Installation Guide. This article details the differences between the two sites down to the specifics.
Starting from History: Why Are There Two Sites?
Binance was founded by Changpeng Zhao in 2017, and originally there was only one site: binance.com. In September 2019, to meet US regulatory requirements, Binance partnered with a local US company called BAM Trading Services to launch binance.us separately, specifically for US residents.
From that moment, Binance's product line split into two:
- binance.com: The global international version, originally headquartered in Malta, now operating in a distributed manner, with Richard Teng as CEO.
- binance.us: The US compliant version, headquartered in the US, subject to dual regulation by the US federal and state governments.
The two are affiliated companies, not the same company. Understanding this is the prerequisite for understanding all subsequent differences.
Core Difference Comparison Table
| Comparison Item | binance.com | binance.us |
|---|---|---|
| Target Audience | Global non-US users | US residents (restricted in some states) |
| Operating Entity | Binance Holdings | BAM Trading Services |
| Number of Coins | 350+ spot coins | About 150 spot coins |
| Derivatives | Supports futures, options, margin | Does not support futures |
| Fiat Channels | Supports 30+ fiat currencies | USD only |
| KYC Requirements | Basic KYC is sufficient | SSN must be provided |
| Trading Fees | Spot from 0.1% | Spot from 0.1%, but varies by coin |
| App Download | Global App Store, Google Play | US App Store only |
| Customer Service Language | Multilingual | English only |
There are three key differences: number of coins, derivatives support, and KYC requirements.
Who Should Use binance.us?
The service audience of binance.us is very narrow, basically just one type of person:
- US citizens or green card holders permanently residing in the US.
- Holding an SSN (Social Security Number).
- Not located in prohibited states like New York, Hawaii, Vermont, etc.
- Only trading USD fiat and major coins, and not trading futures.
If you meet all 4 conditions above, choosing binance.us is reasonable. For anyone else, even if you are currently in the US but are not a US resident, or if you are American but want to trade futures, do not choose binance.us.
Who Should Use binance.com?
Conversely, the target audience of binance.com is "non-US residents + those who want full features", the vast majority of people, including:
- Users in Asia, Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, etc.
- Users who need futures, options, and margin trading.
- Users who need non-USD fiat channels (C2C, EUR, JPY, etc.).
- Users who need a broader variety of Altcoins.
If you are reading this article, it is highly likely you should use binance.com.
Special Note on Accounts Not Being Interoperable
Many users have made the same mistake: having already registered an account on binance.com, they try to use it directly when arriving in the US, only to find binance.us prompts that the account does not exist. This is not a bug, this is by design.
Understand this through the following steps:
- Step 1: The user database of binance.com and the user database of binance.us are physically isolated.
- Step 2: Your international version account, API Keys, and trading history cannot be migrated to binance.us.
- Step 3: If you move from an international region to live long-term in the US, you need to register a new account on binance.us.
- Step 4: Assets in the international version account need to be transferred via "withdraw to external wallet → deposit into binance.us", they cannot be transferred internally.
Many people fall into this trap, thinking they can seamlessly switch, only to end up paying Gas fees for withdrawals.
Specific Examples of Coin Differences
What many people care about is not the theoretical difference between the two sites, but "is the coin I want to buy available on binance.us". Here are some typical examples:
- BTC, ETH, BNB, USDT, USDC: Available on both sides.
- SOL, ADA, DOT, AVAX: Available on both sides.
- LTC, XRP, DOGE, SHIB: Available on both sides.
- TRX, BUSD: Available on binance.com, listing status on binance.us changes frequently.
- Various new Meme coins, Launchpad new coins: Listing speed on binance.com is significantly faster than binance.us.
Binance Launchpad's new project airdrops and IEOs generally do not involve binance.us. Users who want to participate in new listings can only use binance.com.
Three Most Confused Points
- Similar domains do not mean universal accounts: The accounts for binance.com and binance.us are two separate sets; email, password, and 2FA must be set up separately.
- The APPs are two different APPs: In the Apple App Store, "Binance: BTC, Crypto and NFTS" is the APP for binance.com, and "Binance.US" is the APP for binance.us. The icons are both yellow, but the developer accounts are different.
- Fee discounts are different: Holding BNB on binance.com entitles you to a 25% fee discount. binance.us supported this early on but adjusted it later; specifics are subject to announcements on each site.
FAQ
Q1: I am a US citizen but live in Japan, which one should I use? Use binance.com. binance.us requires your actual residence to be in the US, not nationality. As long as you live in Japan long-term, the international version is the right choice.
Q2: Which is better between binance.us and Coinbase? They take two different directions. binance.us has slightly more coins and lower fees; Coinbase has strict coin listing reviews, simpler UI, and high acceptance among US users. Beginners tend towards Coinbase, veterans towards binance.us.
Q3: Is it safe to log into binance.com using a VPN in the US? Unsafe, and not recommended. Binance's risk control will detect inconsistencies between your IP and KYC address, triggering account freezing. US residents should just use binance.us.
Q4: What will happen after binance.com withdraws from the US market? It will not affect non-US users. What withdrew was only the US market; international business continues as usual.
Q5: Why are some coins suddenly delisted on binance.us? Primarily affected by the US SEC's regulatory stance. When the suspicion of a token being deemed an "unregistered security" by the SEC increases, binance.us typically delists it first to avoid risk. binance.com usually retains trading as it is not directly governed by the SEC.