Binance celebrated its ninth anniversary with the announcement of significant achievements, including a user base of over 323 million and a cumulative trading volume exceeding $156 trillion since its launch in July 2017. This milestone highlights that approximately 43% of the global cryptocurrency owners currently utilize the exchange. Binance aims to extend its reach to three billion users in the future.
Expansion into Traditional Finance
In conjunction with its anniversary, Binance outlined its strategy to become a comprehensive financial platform. The exchange has recently ventured into traditional finance by enabling direct trading of US equities, introduced in June. Furthermore, Binance launched tokenized US securities, known as bStocks, which allow round-the-clock trading on the BNB Chain. These tokenized products achieved over $100 million in assets under management within just two weeks, while the direct stock trading offering reached $1 billion within a month.
Co-CEO Richard Teng emphasized the importance of accessibility to global markets for users, stating that Binance is committed to providing such access. Yi He, the other Co-CEO, suggested that this transition reflects a broader change in how individuals engage with financial systems, indicating that it is just the beginning of a significant evolution.
Regulatory Challenges
Despite the celebratory announcements, Binance's journey has been complicated by regulatory issues. In 2023, the exchange pleaded guilty to money-laundering and sanctions violations in the U.S., leading to a penalty of $4.3 billion and the appointment of an independent compliance monitor. Notably, the company's founder, Changpeng Zhao, stepped down in the wake of these issues but was later pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump in October 2025. This backdrop of regulatory scrutiny highlights the challenges Binance faces even as it pushes for growth and innovation.
This material is informational and not financial advice.
