Many Chinese-speaking users living in the United States ask: Can Binance be used in the US? Can I directly log in to binance.com to trade? The answer is: No. This article clarifies the compliance policies in the US region and the differences between Binance.US and the Binance main site. Before registering, you can visit the Binance Official Website to understand the latest policies, and download the client to get the Binance Official APP. Apple users can refer to the iOS Installation Guide.
Short Answer: US Residents Must Use Binance.US
The Binance main site (binance.com) does not provide services to US residents. If you are a US resident, green card holder, or US visa holder, you can only use Binance.US (domain binance.us). This is an independent subsidiary established by Binance in 2019 to serve the US market in accordance with US regulatory requirements.
The Binance main site has strict geographical restrictions for US IPs:
- Direct access to binance.com with a US IP will automatically redirect to binance.us.
- Using US identification documents for KYC will result in registration rejection.
- Registering on the main site with a US phone number will not receive verification codes.
- Even if a VPN is used to bypass IP restrictions, it will still be identified during the KYC process.
Consequences of forcibly bypassing restrictions: Accounts may be frozen, assets may be confiscated, and in severe cases, users may be blacklisted by FinCEN. It is not recommended for anyone to try.
What is Binance.US?
Binance.US is an independent legal entity registered by BAM Trading Services Inc. It operates only in the United States and is regulated by the US Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and state financial regulatory agencies. Its features include:
- Headquartered in Palo Alto, California.
- Holds Money Transmitter Licenses (MTL) in most states.
- Approximately 1.5 million total registered users in 2024.
- Data is completely isolated from the Binance main site.
- Has its own independent CEO and management team.
Although it carries the "Binance" brand, Binance.US and the Binance main site are two separate companies. Accounts, assets, and orders are completely disconnected.
Detailed Comparison: Binance.US vs. Binance Main Site
1. Number of Tradable Coins
| Category | Binance Main Site | Binance.US |
|---|---|---|
| Listed Coins | 600+ | Approx. 150 |
| Futures Market | All Categories | Not Provided |
| Leveraged Tokens | Available | Not Provided |
| Options | Available | Not Provided |
| Dual Investment | Available | Not Provided |
| Launchpad | Available | Not Provided |
Binance.US only supports spot trading, without any derivatives. This is because the US has extremely strict regulations on cryptocurrency derivatives, requiring a separate CFTC license.
2. Trading Fees
| Category | Binance Main Site | Binance.US |
|---|---|---|
| Spot Maker Fee | 0.10% | 0.40% |
| Spot Taker Fee | 0.10% | 0.60% |
| BNB Deduction Discount | 25% | 25% |
| USD Deposits/Withdrawals | USD Not Supported | Free / Small Fee |
Binance.US has higher fees than the main site, which is designed to cover higher compliance costs. However, for US users, this is the necessary cost of compliant trading.
3. Fiat Deposit Channels
| Deposit Method | Binance Main Site | Binance.US |
|---|---|---|
| USD | ❌ | ✅ ACH/Wire |
| Credit Card | ✅ (Requires Overseas Card) | ✅ (US Visa/MC) |
| Apple Pay | ❌ | ✅ |
| Google Pay | ❌ | ✅ |
| Bank Transfer | C2C Method | Direct ACH |
Binance.US offers excellent support for local US banks, allowing direct ACH deposits (usually arriving in 3-5 business days, free of charge). This is something the main site cannot do at all.
4. Availability by State
Binance.US is not available in all states. As of the latest data:
| Status | States |
|---|---|
| ✅ Fully Available | Most states (approx. 40) |
| ⚠️ Partially Restricted | New York (NYDFS), Florida |
| ❌ Cannot Register | Hawaii, Vermont, Texas |
Texas banned the operation of Binance.US in 2023, and Texas residents with Binance.US accounts need to withdraw their assets themselves. New York users cannot trade on Binance.US due to the NYDFS BitLicense requirements.
Before registering, you can check the "State Restrictions" list at the bottom of the binance.us official website to confirm if your state is supported.
How US Residents Can Register for Binance.US
Step 1: Visit the Official Website
Open binance.us (note that it is .us, not .com) and click "Register" in the top right corner. Do not click the wrong link, as there are many fake sites in search engines.
Step 2: Register with a US Phone Number or Email
Enter:
- US phone number (starting with +1)
- Or any email address
- Set a strong password
Step 3: Pass KYC Verification
Binance.US has stricter KYC than the main site and must be passed to trade:
- Basic Verification: Name, address, last 4 digits of SSN (Social Security Number), date of birth.
- Identification Document: US driver's license, state ID, or passport.
- Facial Recognition: Real-time liveness video recording.
Reviews are usually completed within a few hours. If you are not a US citizen but have US residency (green card, work visa), you need to provide additional proof of residency.
Step 4: Connect a US Bank
Connect your US bank account via Plaid (supports almost all mainstream banks). A small test transaction is required after the first connection, and upon passing, you can make direct ACH deposits.
Step 5: Start Trading
You can start trading once the deposit arrives. The UI of Binance.US is basically identical to the Binance main site, allowing for a seamless transition in user habits.
Can Non-US Residents Use Binance.US?
No. Binance.US is only intended for US residents, green card holders, and US visa holders. If you are a tourist or a short-term visitor to the US, you cannot use US identification documents to register for Binance.US.
Conversely, US residents cannot use identities from other countries to register for the Binance main site—the main site's KYC will identify the address and bank information and automatically reject it upon discovering a US connection.
This means that the experiences of US and non-US users are completely segregated.
What if I Move from China to the US? What Happens to My Original Binance Main Site Account?
This is a common situation. How to handle it:
Option 1: Keep the Original Account, but Read-Only
- Withdraw all assets in the original account to your own on-chain wallet or another exchange.
- Do not log in to the original account with a US IP again (it will trigger risk control).
- Just keep the account as a historical record.
Option 2: Register for Binance.US and Transfer Assets
- Transfer the assets from the original account to an on-chain wallet first.
- Register a new account on Binance.US and complete KYC.
- Deposit the coins from the on-chain wallet to Binance.US.
Note: Binance officially provides a "Migration Tool" that can partially automate the migration of account data from the Binance main site to Binance.US. You can find the details in "Account Settings" after logging into Binance.US.
Security of Binance.US
Due to high compliance requirements, Binance.US has better security than typical small exchanges:
- Mandatory 2FA (must be enabled within 48 hours of registration).
- Most assets are stored in cold wallets.
- Holds US SOC 2 Type II certification.
- Cold wallet multi-signature management.
- Independent compliance audits.
However, compared to the Binance main site, Binance.US also has security disadvantages:
- Lower liquidity, which may result in high slippage for large trades.
- Slower customer service response (usually over 24 hours).
- Slower response to security vulnerabilities for a very small number of minor coins.
Other Alternative Exchanges in the US
If you do not like Binance.US, other compliant exchanges in the US include:
- Coinbase: The largest native US exchange, user-friendly UI but high fees.
- Kraken: Veteran exchange with good compliance.
- Gemini: Native to New York, BitLicense certified.
- Bitstamp: European background, available in the US.
- Crypto.com: Aggressive marketing, good UI.
Each has different features, and you can choose based on fees, supported coins, and deposit methods.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Can I use a VPN to bypass restrictions and register for the Binance main site?
A: Strongly not recommended. The Binance main site will detect US connections through multiple methods such as IP, device fingerprints, KYC documents, and bank statements. Once discovered, the account will be frozen. In the worst case, assets will be confiscated without a chance to appeal.
Q: Are the BNB on Binance.US and the BNB on the Binance main site the same?
A: They are the same on-chain asset. BNB is unified on the BSC chain and can be transferred between different exchanges. However, the internal accounts of the Binance main site and Binance.US are independent, and on-chain withdrawal/deposit must be used to transfer between them.
Q: Does Binance.US offer futures trading?
A: No. All futures, perpetual contracts, leveraged tokens, and options require a separate CFTC license in the US, which Binance.US currently does not provide.
Q: Can US persons use other overseas exchanges?
A: Theoretically no. Overseas exchanges such as OKX, Bitget, and Bybit also prohibit US users. Using them forcibly is at your own risk.
Q: Will Binance.US be shut down?
A: Unlikely. Binance.US and Binance Global are independent legal entities. The 2023 SEC case has reached a settlement, and operations are currently normal. However, the US regulatory environment changes rapidly, and users should regularly follow official announcements.