New users often confuse binance.com (global main site) with binance.us (US site), thinking they are two URLs of the same company. In reality, these are independent platforms with different ownership, different legal entities, different supported coins, and different fees. Registering on the wrong platform by mistake can lead to a completely different trading experience. This article compares all the core differences. To access the global main site, look for the Binance Official Site; to download the mobile client, use the Binance Official App; Apple users can refer to the iOS Install Guide.
Core Differences in One Table
| Dimension | binance.com | binance.us |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 | 2019 |
| Operating Company | Binance Holdings Limited | BAM Trading Services |
| Headquarters | Cayman Islands | San Francisco, CA |
| Target Audience | Global (excluding US, North Korea, and other restricted countries) | US residents only |
| Listed Coins | 800+ | 150+ |
| Derivatives | Futures, options, margin | None supported (regulatory restriction) |
| KYC Requirement | Email registration to browse | Must verify SSN (Social Security Number) |
| Spot Trading Fee | From 0.1% | From 0.4% |
| Fiat Channels | Credit card, SEPA, PayPal, 50+ | USD bank transfer only |
| Interface Languages | 40+ languages | English only |
| Official APP | Global universal version | Separate US version |
What Is binance.com?
binance.com is the global main site, registered in the Cayman Islands, founded by Changpeng Zhao (CZ) in July 2017. Currently, global registered users exceed 250 million, with daily trading volume over $20 billion, making it the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange.
Core Features of the Main Site
- Widest coin coverage: BTC, ETH, BNB, SOL and other mainstream coins + 800+ altcoins
- Most complete features: Spot, futures, options, margin, earn, Launchpad, NFT
- Lowest fees: After BNB discount, spot fee rate is 0.075%
- Global fiat support: RMB (OTC over-the-counter), EUR, JPY, RUB and 50+ other currencies
- 24-hour customer service: Covering 20+ languages including English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean
Unsupported Countries and Regions
- United States (Strict ban on US resident registration since 2019)
- North Korea
- Iran
- Crimea
- Syria
- Cuba
Mainland China and Hong Kong IPs are passively restricted, but Chinese users can still register, as long as they're not on the restriction list.
What Is binance.us?
binance.us is Binance's independent brand for the US market, launched in 2019. The operating company behind it is BAM Trading Services Inc., which legally operates in 46 of 50 US states. It is NOT Binance's US subsidiary, but rather an independent company using the Binance trademark.
Strict Compliance of the US Site
Due to extremely strict US crypto regulation, binance.us was forced to cut many features:
- No futures or margin trading——The SEC explicitly prohibits US retail investors
- No unregistered security-token listings——So many altcoins are missing from the US site
- Subject to multi-layered CFTC, FinCEN, SEC regulation
- Users must submit SSN for KYC
- Daily withdrawal limit of $100,000 (main site's is $8 million)
Actual Trading Experience Gap
Buying 1 BTC on the same day:
- On binance.com: Spot fee 0.1%, futures fee 0.02%, 25% additional discount with BNB
- On binance.us: Spot fee 0.4%, no futures, BNB cannot be used for discount
Long-term, fees differ by 3-5x, which is why many US users VPN to the main site to trade.
Why Do People Often Confuse the Two?
Reason 1: Both are called "Binance"
Both companies share the Binance trademark and the yellow diamond logo, and the UIs are highly similar. New users find it hard to tell the difference at a glance when opening the site.
Reason 2: Automatic IP Redirection
If you access binance.com from within the US, you'll be automatically redirected to binance.us. This is a geofencing measure proactively implemented by binance.com to avoid US regulatory penalties. Many Chinese users on business trips in the US find their account suddenly "gone" because they were redirected to binance.us.
Reason 3: Same APP Name but Independent
In Apple App Store and Google Play, both apps are called "Binance", with the same yellow diamond icon. Account data is completely unrelated——your BTC balance on the main site is invisible on the US site, and vice versa.
Can Accounts Be Interchanged Between the Two Platforms?
Answer: No.
- binance.com accounts cannot log in to binance.us
- binance.us accounts cannot log in to binance.com
- Assets cannot be directly transferred (unless you withdraw from one platform and deposit to the other via on-chain, incurring fees and time cost)
- KYC must be redone (main site: passport + proof of residence; US site: SSN + driver's license)
If you've already registered on the US site and want to switch to the main site: you need to first withdraw all assets → open a main site account outside the US → start KYC from scratch.
Which Should Chinese Users Choose?
In the vast majority of cases, choose binance.com (main site). Reasons:
- The main site has more coins, lower fees, and more complete features
- The main site supports RMB OTC; the US site only accepts USD
- The main site's Chinese customer service is more professional
- The US site only serves US residents; Chinese users registering there will be risk-controlled and frozen
When do you need binance.us instead? Only if you are personally a US resident, have an SSN, and reside long-term in the US.
FAQ
Q1: Is binance.us the "Chinese version" of Binance? A: Definitely not. binance.us is an independent company targeting US residents and has no relation to China. Mainland Chinese users cannot register on binance.us and will be blocked directly by IP.
Q2: Is the BNB coin on both platforms the same? A: Superficially it's the same BNB, but transfers between the two platforms must go on-chain. The main site's BNB can be used for fee discounts; the US site does not support BNB for discounts, so the same coin has different "actual value" on the two platforms.
Q3: Is it true that binance.com is banned in the US? A: Not entirely. The main site indeed no longer accepts US resident registration, but the domain itself is not blocked in the US; it's just that the main site proactively implements IP geofencing. Opening binance.com within the US redirects to binance.us.
Q4: Does founder CZ still run both companies? A: CZ stepped down as CEO in November 2023. The main site's current CEO is Richard Teng. binance.us's CEO is Norman Reed (took office in 2024). The two companies are now fully independently operated.
Q5: Will they merge in the future? A: Extremely unlikely. The US regulatory environment determines that binance.us can never merge with the main site, or the main site would be penalized by the US SEC. The separation of the two platforms will continue long-term.