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Why are both Binance domains called Binance?

Are binance.com and binance.us the Same Thing

Here's the bottom line: no. Although both domains contain "binance," binance.com and binance.us are two independent companies. Their account systems, coin listings, futures products, and regulators are all different. Plenty of newcomers assume that being in the U.S. means they should register on binance.us, only to find most of the features are missing. To figure out which site you should actually use, start with these three entry points: Binance Official Site (main site binance.com), Binance Official App (which corresponds to the main site), and the iOS Install Guide. This article walks through every difference item by item so you choose correctly the first time.

Company Background of the Two

Operating Entity of binance.com

binance.com is operated by Binance Holdings Limited, registered in the Cayman Islands, with actual business spanning more than 180 countries and regions. This is what people commonly call the "Binance main site" or "Binance International." Its global daily trading volume has long ranked first, with 2025 daily average spot volume approaching $30 billion.

Operating Entity of binance.us

binance.us is operated by BAM Trading Services Inc., registered in Delaware, USA, serving only compliant U.S. domestic users. It launched in 2019 and is regulated by FinCEN and state-level financial regulators. Its 2025 daily trading volume is less than 1% of the main site's.

Equity Relationship

Although the brands share a common origin, the two companies have independent equity structures. The founder once positioned binance.us as "the U.S. compliance entity" but does not hold shares directly in order to mitigate regulatory risk. This is also the fundamental reason why data and accounts across the two sites cannot be unified.

Differences in Tradable Coins

Main Site binance.com

Lists around 450 cryptocurrencies across 350+ trading pairs. Whether it's majors like BTC and ETH, meme coins like DOGE and SHIB, or new DeFi and NFT-related tokens, you can basically find everything.

U.S. Site binance.us

Lists only around 160 coins, and most meme coins and Launchpad newcomers aren't synced over. Common omissions:

  • XRP (delisted due to the SEC lawsuit)
  • SOL, ADA, MATIC (deemed unregistered securities by the SEC)
  • Most Launchpad new listings
  • No futures or options products at all

For users looking to trade new coins, this limitation is fairly crippling.

Product Feature Comparison

Main Site — Full Feature Set

  • Spot trading
  • USDT-M and coin-M futures (up to 125x)
  • Delivery futures
  • Options
  • Dual Investment, Auto-Invest
  • Launchpad, Launchpool
  • P2P trading
  • NFT marketplace
  • Web3 wallet

U.S. Site — Trimmed Feature Set

  • Spot trading
  • Simple staking (not available for all coins)
  • OTC desk
  • USD fiat channel

No futures, no options, no P2P, no Launchpad. If your strategy includes any derivatives at all, binance.us isn't a fit.

Two-Site Comparison at a Glance

Comparison Item binance.com (main) binance.us (U.S.)
Operating company Binance Holdings Limited BAM Trading Services
Headquarters Cayman Islands Delaware, USA
Launch date July 2017 September 2019
Number of coins About 450 About 160
Futures products Full suite None
Spot fees 0.1% (0.075% with BNB discount) 0.1% (no BNB discount)
Fiat channels 50+ types USD only
Supported users 180+ countries globally U.S. non-sanctioned states only
App store name Binance Binance.US
Daily trading volume About $30 billion About $200 million

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm in the U.S. — can I use the main site

Technically we don't recommend it. The main site's terms of service explicitly refuse registrations from U.S. residents. If you register with U.S. ID documents and the risk-control system flags you, your account will be frozen — assets can only be withdrawn, not traded.

I'm in China — can I use binance.us

No. binance.us only accepts residents with a U.S. SSN or ITIN, and requires uploading U.S. identity documents during registration.

Can I install both apps at the same time

Yes. Searching for Binance and Binance.US in the app store gives you two separate applications that don't conflict. But there's no reason for the typical user to install both — installing the Binance Official App that corresponds to the main site is enough.

Can an account be migrated from one site to the other

No. The two sites have independent databases. If you want to "migrate," your only option is to withdraw from the original site and deposit into the new one, covering the withdrawal fee yourself. USDT is supported on both sites, and going through TRC20 is generally the cheapest.

So which one should I pick

99% of English-speaking readers should pick the main site. Enter through the Binance Official Site link on our site, complete email registration and KYC, and you'll have an account — the whole process takes under 10 minutes, and futures, Earn, and new-coin subscriptions are all available afterward.

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SmartCoin Nav Editorial Team Focused on Binance registration guides and app download tutorials