Binance review 2026: fees, safety and the EU exit
Binance review for EU readers: no MiCA licence and withdrawals only since 1 July 2026. Fees outside the EU, the US guilty plea, and where to move your coins.
Binance has no MiCA licence, and since 1 July 2026 EU users can only withdraw: no sign-ups, deposits or new spot orders. Outside the EU it remains a low-fee exchange with more than 500 coins, but it pleaded guilty to US anti-money-laundering violations in 2023. If you live in the EU, move your coins to a licensed exchange or your own wallet.
Good fit if you
- Experienced traders living outside the EU
- Low spot fees (0.10%, or 0.075% in BNB)
- A very wide choice of coins
Look elsewhere if you
- You live in the EU or the Netherlands
- You want a licensed, supervised exchange
- You are new to crypto
- You want to deposit euros
Binance is one of the biggest crypto exchanges in the world, with low trading fees and more than 500 coins, but it holds no MiCA licence and no longer serves customers in the EU. Our verdict for EU residents is wrong way: since 1 July 2026 you can only withdraw, so use a regulated exchange and move any coins you still hold.
We checked Binance’s fee schedule, licences page and public API, and ESMA’s MiCA register, on 23 October 2026. This Binance review covers what the exchange is, what it costs outside the EU, its security record, and what to do if you live in the EU and still have a Binance account.
Binance review: the short verdict
Binance is not an option for EU residents in 2026: it has no MiCA licence, and EU users can no longer sign up, deposit or place new spot orders. Outside the EU it is still a large, low-cost exchange, but one whose record includes a guilty plea in the United States.
- Main upside: 0.10% spot fees (0.075% in BNB) and more than 500 crypto assets.
- Main catch: no licence for EU residents, a withdraw-only account, and a long list of fines and exits.
- Look elsewhere if you live in the EU. Kraken, Coinbase, Bybit EU, Bitvavo and Bitpanda all hold a MiCA licence.
Binance Europe: no MiCA licence, withdrawals only
Binance has no MiCA licence in any EU country, so it may not provide crypto services to EU residents. Since 1 July 2026 EU users can only withdraw: Binance stopped onboarding and suspended deposits, new spot orders and Earn.
MiCA is the EU’s crypto law. Exchanges serving customers under national rules could carry on during a transition period, which ended EU-wide on 1 July 2026. Since then only MiCA-authorised providers may serve EU residents, and ESMA told unauthorised firms to stop onboarding and wind down.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| January 2026 | Binance filed a MiCA application with Greece’s HCMC |
| 24 June 2026 | Binance withdrew it, after reports that the regulator was leaning towards rejection |
| 1 July 2026 | EU users moved to withdrawals only |
| October 2026 | The Financial Times reported EU concerns about Binance using MiCA’s reverse-solicitation exemption to keep serving some EU customers |
Binance says it is “not leaving Europe” and will apply in another member state; the Financial Times named France as the likely target. We could not confirm a new application, and no Binance entity appears in ESMA’s interim MiCA register (update of 22 October 2026).
Binance in the Netherlands
Binance hasn’t been available in the Netherlands since July 2023. It left after failing to obtain registration with De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), and Dutch users were moved to withdrawal-only from 17 July 2023. In 2022, DNB had fined Binance €3.3m for offering crypto services without registration. Our Netherlands page covers local options.
Germany, Belgium, Ireland, the UK and the US
In Germany, Belgium and Ireland, the same EU-wide rules apply. Reports of the wind-down named France, Italy, Spain and Poland plus “other member states”, but no unlicensed exchange may serve EU residents since 1 July 2026.
Binance paused new UK sign-ups in October 2023; we could not confirm whether UK residents can open an account today. Binance.com does not serve US residents, who have the separate Binance.US.
What is Binance, and why is it so big?
Binance is a global cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2017, often described as the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world. By its own count it had 250 million registered users by January 2025.
It became such a popular cryptocurrency exchange for three reasons:
- Low fees. A flat 0.10% exchange commission on spot trades, with discounts for BNB and high trading volume.
- Choice. Binance supports more than 500 crypto assets and 13 fiat currencies on its API, from the euro and US dollar to the Brazilian real and Turkish lira.
- One account for all crypto trading. Spot, futures, margin, Earn, copy trading and an API, in the Binance app and on the web.
Binance’s licences page lists three companies in Abu Dhabi, approved by the ADGM’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority in December 2025: an exchange, a clearing and custody house, and a broker-dealer. None of them is an EU licence.
Binance fees: low trading fees, but not for the EU
Binance charges 0.10% maker and taker fees on spot trades for regular users, or 0.075% when you pay in BNB. That is among the lowest trading fees of any large exchange, but EU residents can no longer place new spot orders, so these rates only matter outside the EU.
| Fee | Binance (checked 23 October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Spot maker / taker | 0.10% / 0.10% |
| Spot fee paid in BNB | 0.075% (25% off) |
| Lower fees | VIP tiers by 30-day trading volume or BNB balance |
| USDⓈ-M futures maker / taker | 0.02% / 0.05% |
| BTC withdrawal fee | 0.00002 BTC, changes with network conditions |
| Euro deposit fees, card fees | Not confirmed (fee pages load dynamically) |
Worked example: a €100 and a €1,000 buy
A €1,000 spot buy at Binance costs €1.00 in fees, or €0.75 in BNB. A market order pays the taker fee and a limit order that waits in the order book pays the maker fee; at Binance both are 0.10%. Here is the same market order at the entry-tier rates of licensed exchanges that EU residents can use:
| Spot market order | €100 buy | €1,000 buy |
|---|---|---|
| Binance, 0.10% | €0.10 | €1.00 |
| Binance in BNB, 0.075% | about €0.08 | €0.75 |
| Bitvavo, 0.25% taker | €0.25 | €2.50 |
| Bybit EU, 0.25% | €0.25 | €2.50 |
| Kraken Pro, 0.80% taker | €0.80 | €8.00 |
| Coinbase Advanced, 1.20% taker | €1.20 | €12.00 |
On €1,000, the cheapest licensed exchanges cost €1.50 more than Binance: the price of a regulated exchange. Spreads and payment fees come on top where they apply, and moving your Bitcoin out adds a network fee.
What you can trade on the Binance platform
Outside the EU, the Binance platform offers spot trading on more than 500 crypto assets, futures, margin, staking through Earn, copy trading and API access. EU residents can’t use its derivatives, and since July 2026 can’t open new spot or Earn positions either.
- Futures and margin: ways to trade with borrowed money. Most retail traders lose money with leverage, and you can lose your whole stake quickly.
- Earn and staking: a return on coins you lock up, while the coin’s price can still fall.
- BNB: Binance’s own token, often still called Binance Coin, which cuts trading fees.
Is Binance safe? Security, SAFU and proof of reserves
Binance publishes proof of reserves and keeps an emergency fund, but for EU residents the bigger risk is legal, not technical: there is no EU supervision of its service. Its security record includes one major hack, in 2019.
- Proof of reserves: Merkle-tree and zk-SNARK proofs, designed to let customers check that their balance is included. Binance states it holds user assets 1:1.
- SAFU: the Secure Asset Fund for Users was converted to 15,000 BTC (about $1bn) in February 2026, and Binance says it will top it up if it falls below $800m. It is a company asset fund, not a legal scheme like the €100,000 EU deposit guarantee.
- 2019 hack: hackers stole 7,000 BTC (about $40m) from a hot wallet; Binance covered the loss from SAFU.
- Unknowns: we found no published cold storage share, and could not confirm Binance’s support channels from official pages.
Crypto itself is volatile on any exchange, and you can lose everything you put in.
Protect your Binance account
Your own security measures matter as much as the platform’s. Use a unique password, turn on app-based two-factor authentication, and never type your password after clicking a link about “moving your Binance account”: check announcements in the Binance app or on binance.com itself.
Binance’s regulatory track record
Binance’s history includes a guilty plea in the United States and fines or exits in several European countries.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2022 | DNB fined Binance €3.3m for serving the Netherlands without registration |
| 2023 | Binance left the Netherlands and withdrew its German BaFin application |
| 2023 | Binance pleaded guilty in the US to anti-money-laundering and sanctions violations and agreed to pay about $4.3bn; founder Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty and stepped down as CEO |
| 2025 | The SEC dismissed its 2023 civil lawsuit against Binance and Zhao with prejudice |
| 2025 | President Trump pardoned Zhao in October 2025 |
| 2026 | Binance withdrew its Greek MiCA application |
A company that pleaded guilty to anti-money-laundering failures needs a strong licence to win back trust. In the EU, Binance has none.
I’m in the EU and have a Binance account: what now?
If you live in the EU and still have crypto on Binance, withdraw it to a MiCA-licensed exchange or to a wallet you control. Withdrawals still work, but you can’t deposit funds, place new spot orders or use Earn.
Because new spot orders are suspended, you can’t sell for euros on Binance. Move the coins themselves, then sell on the new exchange if you want money in your bank account.
- List what you hold. Note every coin, its network and the amount, and check any Earn positions.
- Choose a destination. A MiCA-licensed exchange to sell or keep trading; a self-custody wallet, such as a hardware cold storage wallet, to hold long term.
- Verify the new account first. Finish the identity process at the licensed exchange before you withdraw.
- Copy the deposit address and match the network. Sending a coin over an unsupported network can mean losing it.
- Send a small test amount, then the rest. Check the withdrawal fee on screen: on 23 October 2026 Binance charged 0.00002 BTC on the Bitcoin network.
- Save your records. Download or screenshot your trade, deposit and withdrawal history while you still have access.
The travel rule
Under the EU travel rule, a licensed exchange must know who is sending it crypto. Since 30 December 2024, EU crypto platforms must pass on sender and recipient names with transfers between providers, so your new exchange may ask you to confirm the coins come from your own Binance account. If you send more than €1,000 to your own wallet, the platform must check the wallet is yours. Our KYC explainer covers the details.
Taxes
Moving coins to another account or wallet you own is not a sale. In the Netherlands, crypto falls in box 3, which looks at what you hold on 1 January wherever you hold it (for 2026: a 6.00% notional return taxed at 36%, above €59,357 per person). Elsewhere, selling can be taxable, so keep the purchase date and price of every coin you move.
Moving to a different exchange: MiCA-licensed alternatives
The best Binance alternatives for EU residents are exchanges with a MiCA licence. These five are authorised and serve the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Ireland:
| Exchange | MiCA regulator | Entry-tier spot fee | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kraken | Central Bank of Ireland | 0.40% / 0.80% (Kraken Pro) | Beginners and active traders |
| Coinbase | CSSF (Luxembourg) | 0.60% / 1.20% (Advanced) | A large, listed company |
| Bybit EU | FMA (Austria) | 0.25% | A flat spot fee |
| Bitvavo | AFM (Netherlands) | 0.15% / 0.25% | Low euro fees, iDEAL |
| Bitpanda | FMA, BaFin, MFSA | 0.99% premium on Bitcoin | Crypto plus stocks and ETFs |
None matches Binance’s 0.10% or its 500-plus coins. What you get instead is a licence, an EU regulator and a service that is open to you.
Binance vs Coinbase (formerly Coinbase Pro)
Coinbase is the opposite trade-off: higher fees, but a MiCA licence from Luxembourg’s CSSF. Coinbase Advanced, the successor to Coinbase Pro, charges 0.60% maker and 1.20% taker at the entry tier, so a €1,000 market order costs €12.00 instead of €1.00. See our Binance vs Coinbase comparison.
Who Binance is for, and who should look elsewhere
Binance suits experienced traders outside the EU who want low fees, many coins and derivatives, and who accept a company with a heavy regulatory record. Ultimately, everyone living in the EU should look elsewhere: Binance no longer accepts EU customers and has no MiCA licence.
Look elsewhere if you live in the EU or the Netherlands, you are new to crypto, you want to deposit euros, or you want a regulator to turn to.
Why people pick it
- 0.10% spot fees, 0.075% when paid in BNB
- More than 500 crypto assets
- Proof of reserves with Merkle-tree and zk-SNARK proofs
- SAFU fund of 15,000 BTC (about $1bn)
- Withdrawals still open for EU users
The catch
- No MiCA licence: withdraw-only for EU users since 1 July 2026
- Not available in the Netherlands since July 2023
- US guilty plea and about $4.3bn settlement in 2023
- Euro deposit and card fees could not be confirmed
- No derivatives for EU users
Questions people ask
Is Binance legal in the Netherlands?
No. Binance left the Netherlands in July 2023 after failing to obtain registration with De Nederlandsche Bank, which had fined it €3.3m in 2022. It also has no MiCA licence, which every crypto exchange needs to serve EU residents.
Is Binance safe to use in Europe?
Binance publishes proof of reserves and keeps a SAFU fund, but without a MiCA licence no EU regulator supervises its service to you. Since 1 July 2026 EU users can only withdraw, so we suggest moving your coins.
Can I still withdraw my money from Binance in the EU?
Yes. Withdrawals stayed open after 1 July 2026, while sign-ups, deposits, new spot orders and Earn were suspended. Move the coins themselves and sell them on a licensed exchange if you want euros.
How much are Binance fees?
Binance charges 0.10% maker and taker fees on spot trades, or 0.075% when you pay in BNB. A €1,000 buy costs €1.00 in fees (€0.75 with BNB), but only outside the EU.
Can US citizens use Binance?
No. Binance.com does not serve US residents; they are served by the separate Binance.US, which this review does not cover.
Will Binance get a MiCA licence?
Binance withdrew its Greek application on 24 June 2026 and says it will apply in another member state, reportedly France. We could not confirm a new application as of 23 October 2026.