Cryptocurrency, shortened as crypto, is any digital or virtual currency. Cryptography is used to ensure transactions are secure.
Cryptocurrencies don’t have a central issuing or regulating power. Instead, they rely on a decentralized system for recording transactions and issuing new units. As such, it doesn’t rely on banks to do transactions.
So what does it use? It depends on a peer-to-peer system that allows anybody to send and receive payment anywhere. This currency exists purely as digital entries and is recorded on an online database that describes specific transactions.
Every transaction made with cryptocurrency funds will be recorded in the public ledger. Every owner of cryptocurrency keeps their funds in a digital wallet.
Cryptocurrency’s name is derived from its use of encryption to verify and keep transactions. This is why cryptocurrency can only exist in the digital and virtual space, as it uses encryption methods that only computers can understand.
This advanced coding is used to store and transmit cryptocurrency data. It provides security and safety while transactions between wallets and public ledgers take place.
The first ever Cryptocurrency was called Bitcoin and was founded in 2009. It remains the best known today. However, it is not the only cryptocurrency that exists. Some others include: DogeCoin, Ethereum, BNB (Binance Coin), Tether, Solana, and Polkadot.
To trade or exchange these currencies, one would need to use the services of a crypto exchange or digital currency exchange (DCE).
A Cryptocurrency Exchange is a business that allows customers trade digital currencies and cryptocurrencies for other assets, such as fiat money or other digital currencies.
Crypto exchanges have functions that are similar to online brokerage platforms. You can use them to purchase and sell digital currencies or tokens for various cryptocurrencies.
Crypto Exchanges accept wire transfers and credit card payments in exchange for digital currencies.
Binance is one such dedicated cryptocurrency exchange.
Binance and Overview Binance Blockchain Week Paris
Beau Troxclair’s YouTube channel 0xBeau has a video review of Binance. For those who like a visual experience, this is the video. To get a comprehensive overview of Binance, you may still want to check out our article below.
Binance is still the best cryptocurrency exchange in the world when it comes to cryptocurrency trading. It has the highest trading volume of any crypto exchange by offering users the most cryptocurrency trading pairs.
Binance got its start in 2017 through Changpeng “CZ” Zhao. It was initially based in China but was quickly moved out of the country due to crypto restrictions getting stricter and stricter. It has been moved around from Japan and Malta, but it did not have a permanent home.
However, news has come out that the company signed a memorandum with Bermuda and Malta to finally establish its home base. Binance Blockchain Week Paris
Binance’s popularity was due to its user base who liked the low fees, availability of cryptocurrencies and innovative products. The platform currently offers many crypto-based products.
You can access services such as exchange, earn and staking, derivatives loans, payments credit cards, NFTs and more from Binance.
Binance has its own unique tokens, cryptocurrencies and coins. BUSD is a stablecoin. BNB is a strong performer because of its low fees.
However, Binance has its problems and dark sides.
The United States Department of Justice (Internal Revenue Service) investigated the company in 2021 for money laundering and tax crimes.
The Financial Conduct Authority of the United Kingdom ordered that the platform stop all regulated activities in June 2021. That said, the scope of this ban was limited, and that non-registered firms can still interact with UK consumers.
Earlier that year, it was set up to launch its own digital asset marketplace in Britain, but it withdrew this application due to not meeting anti-money laundering requirements.
In the same year, Binance was also reported to have shared client information, including addresses and names, with the Russian government. The Russian government justified this as a way to help them fight crime.
Binance Perks
Large Crypto Selection
Given that the company is among the biggest cryptocurrency platforms in the market. It is not surprising that there are many cryptocurrencies and digital currencies available. You can get decentralized finance tokens (DeFi), stable coins, alt currencies, and other popular cryptos.
Here are some examples:
- Binance Coins (BNB)
- VeChain (VET)
- Harmony (ONE)
- VeThor (VTHO).
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Matic Network (MATIC).
For those who want them, Binance also offers and support for the more popular cryptocurrencies such as:
- Dash (DASH)
- Compound (COMP).
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Litecoin (LTC).
- Cardano (ADA)
- Cosmos (ATOM)
Low Fees
Trading currencies and tokens are not offered free on any platform. However, choosing Binance as your trading platform will give you deals that may as well be free. This is compared to other crypto exchanges that also charge fees and commissions. The highest spot trading fee so far is 0.1%.
The platform employs a maker/taker fee structure, and fees will vary depending on trading volume and Binance Coin (BNB) balance. As a rule of thumb, the higher the volume of your trade, the lower the fees your trades are subjected to. Binance Blockchain Week Paris
What’s more, is that users can also get fee discounts for some services. Such as:
- Trades using Binance (BNB), coins
- If you achieve Very Important Person (VIP status) by trading a certain amount of assets.
However, Binance users still have to pay additional fees. Different fees will apply depending on which type of withdrawal you make and what payment method you use. As a sample, you refer to the chart below
Type of payment | Fees |
|
|
In a later section, we will discuss fees.
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Passive Income on Crypto Assets
Binance allows you to earn from your crypto assets. These come with different levels of risk. A few options include earning 50% APR or more on certain cryptos in its staking program or putting assets into flexible savings accounts for lower but more consistent rates.
The platform offers more staking options. They also pay higher rates than other exchanges.
You can also earn income by adding liquidity to pairs of tokens, but this is a riskier option. Of course, it is really up to you when taking on these risks. As such, it is important to understand what is involved and what is at stake before jumping into these opportunities.
Advanced Trading Tools
Binance’s advanced trading features make it easy to tailor your trading options. It is simple to set a limit on the price at which you can buy or sell crypto. It even accommodates beginner users with its “convert” function.
For veteran traders, the charting tools in the advanced trading interface are something to behold. A Bitcoin futures section allows people to speculate on the price of Bitcoin.
The platform allows you to sell leveraged tokens in connection to earning opportunities with inherent risk. This is an opportunity for customers to multiply their positions in a particular currency. As stated, this is a risky strategy because it can multiply losses and may even cause traders to lose their entire position.
The Binance Shortcomings
Not for Newbies
Binance is definitely not for beginners. Binance is complex platform designed for experienced traders. The general aim of the platform is to have these earners maximize their profits.
We previously discussed the advanced trading tools and the risky opportunities Binance provides its users to earn passive income on their crypto holdings. You need to understand what these things mean and how you’re using them.
As for the risky opportunities, more often than not, this is where beginner traders and newbies lose their money. It takes years of experience and honed gut feeling to understand the inherent and hidden risks some trades carry with them.
The huge market selection and the in-depth dashboards presented by the platform can also be overwhelming and difficult to navigate, especially if you are just getting started in crypto investing.
Once you get the hang of the platform, you will find it very easy to manage your assets. Also, for what it’s worth, Binance has a simpler interface designed for first-timers. It also provides a sizable educational resource.
While Binance is not that beginner friendly, it still has a lot of resources to help those who want to learn. It is still not a platform where you just buy Bitcoin and then sit back and relax. Binance Blockchain Week Paris
Pay attention to regulatory matters
As covered in the overview, one of Binance’s main drawbacks is that it has been in the crosshairs of some countries. Major countries that have it in for Binance include Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Singapore, and Thailand.
The United States authorities are currently investigating the platform in regard to possible money laundering, tax fraud, and insider trading. So far, no charges have been filed, and Binance has denied any wrongdoing. Should anything come out of this, only time will tell.
In response, Binance has taken steps to strengthen its compliance team and keep regulators onside. This could be difficult as many of the products that Binance customers love are also those that attract regulatory attention.
Not Available in the U.S.
In response to regulations targeting Binance’s business in the United States, they had to build a separate platform for U.S. customers called Binance.US. The U.S. version Binance offers fewer features and less cryptocurrencies.
Binance.US trades more than 120 cryptocurrencies, but does not offer futures trading. Also, it lacks availability as it is not available to the whole country. It’s unavailable in Hawaii, New York, Texas, or Vermont.
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How it all Works
Now that we’ve seen some of the good and the bad of Binance, we can finally talk about how it works.
As we know, Binance functions as a cryptocurrency exchange. It offers a wide range of services. These include:
- Buy, Sell, or trade cryptocurrency
- Set up recurring buys
- Earn passive income
- Advanced features like crypto derivative products, limits orders and peer-to-peer trading are available.
- Trade non-fungible tokens (NFTs)
- Participate in Binance’s Launchpad and Launchpool to get exposure to new cryptos
- Access portfolio insights, plus live tracking and alerts
- Keep track of your tax obligations with its tax reporting tool
It is important to remember that many regulatory agencies around the globe have been focusing on Binance’s wide range of products. Binance warns users about the potential risks of investing on the platform.
It also has an anti-addiction setting just in case users become too involved with trading. The system warns traders about the risks involved in trading derivatives if they suffer heavy losses or a losing streak. It encourages them to rest and hold back on their trading activities.
The platform believes responsible traders should be critical and keep themselves in check to avoid harmful excesses like compulsive trading or gambling.
These are just reminders. Retail investors will ultimately decide how to manage risk and where they should invest their money.
Signing Up to Your Binance Account
It takes just minutes to create and register your Binance account. You are also given the choice of two types of accounts: Verified and unverified accounts.
For unverified users
- Register on the Binance homepage
- Enter your email address
- Create a password
- Accept Binance’s Terms of Use
- Click “Create Account”
- Register by email to confirm your registration
For Verified Accounts
- Register for an unverified account.
- Log in to your account
- Click Identity Verification in the User Center
- Choose Personal
- Fill in your Details
- Choose an ID type for document verification, such as a Passport or Driver’s license
- Upload a file or take a picture of the document
- Take a photo of yourself
- After uploading the required document and photo, click confirm.
- Binance will then review it as soon as possible. Binance Blockchain Week Paris
From then on, you will have to wait for an email from Binance to ensure that your account has been verified.
Trading Experience
As we’ve mentioned, Binance offers a variety of trading tools. Some of these tools include their real-time charting tools with moving averages and exponential moving averages. Trades can also be made easy and accessible through the Binance mobile app, Binance website or Binance desktop application.
The platform allows traders to view their trade history and portfolios. The platform allows them to view their order book and price charts. The platform also gives users a selection of order types. You can place stop orders, limit orders and stop-limit orders.
Also, users can choose different trading views to easily comprehend data or view them in a way they prefer. There are many views to choose from, including classic, margin and OTC views.
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Trust Wallet
Binance offers a custodial wallet on its platform. Trust Wallet is also recommended by Binance, which supports thousands upon thousands of cryptocurrencies across all major blockchains. It is easy to withdraw from Binance to a Trust Wallet or other external crypto wallet.
Withdrawals are usually completed in 10 minutes and the fees are very low. Since you can use Binance via a multitude of platforms such as desktop, mobile, or through a web-based app, users will need to provide some personal information to verify their account to get started.
Fees
We all know that one of Binance’s selling points is its low fees. However, this does not mean that users are free from all charges. Users of Binance are still required to pay fees for using the platform.
Deposit and withdrawal fees
The currency used to pay and the method of payment will determine how much deposit fees are charged. While it is usually free to make a bank transfer, fees will usually be there for debit card payments.
Depending on your country, Binance might allow credit or debit card payments, bank transfers, and peer-to-peer payments.
You can withdraw money as a fiat currency from a bank account. You can also withdraw crypto to a wallet or another exchange. These withdrawal fees and minimum amounts are determined by your currency and method. Binance Blockchain Week Paris
Trade Fees
The trading volume and trading history over the last 30 days will determine the percentage of your trading fees. It will also impact the amount of BNB that you have.
Maker orders, which add liquidity to the market, will get lower fees than taker or remover orders.
The platform also encourages the use of its own native currency, the Binance Coin (BNB). Anybody who does so will receive a 25% discount on their trading fees. Binance offers 0% trading for selected Bitcoin and Binance USD pairs (BUSD).
Below is a chart that shows how VIP status and the 30-day trade volume are related to maker/taker.
VIP | 30-Day Trade Volume (BUSD) | Maker/Taker |
0 | Below 1,000,000 | 0.10%/0.10% |
1 | 1,000,000 to 4,999,999 and at least 25 BNB | 0.09%/0.10% |
2 | Between 5,000,000 and 19,999,999 with at least 100 BNB | 0.08% / 0.10% |
3 | Between 20,000,000 and 119,999.999, with at least 250 BNB | 0.07% / 0.10% |
4 | 120,000,000 to 199.999.999 with at least 500 BNB | 0.07% / 0.09% |
5 | Between 200,000,000 and 499,999.999 and at most 1,000 BNB | 0.06% / 0.08% |
6 | 500,000,000 to 99,999,999999 and at most 1,750 BNB | 0.05% / 0.07% |
7 | 1,000,000,000 to 2,499,999,999 and at least 3,000 BNB | 0.04% / 0.06% |
8 | Between 2,500,000,000 and 4,999,999.999999999 with at least 4,500 BNB | 0.03% / 0.05% |
9 | More than 5,000,000,000 and at least 5,500 BNB | 0.02% / 0.04% |
Security
Binance is a platform that handles sensitive and high-stakes data. It should be expected that it has strong security measures to protect their assets and clients.
Binance includes two-factor authentication (2FA) via the Google Authenticator app or short message service for the customer side. It also uses address whitelisting, device management, and the ability to restrict device access.
Binance claims that it has its own insurance fund. Binance stores 10% of trading fees in a safe fund. This insurance fund is supposed to protect against hacking losses, which Binance is well-versed in (more later).
This insurance is not the same as having a third party doing it, but it does give users some protection.
Binance also keeps its most important security feature, its funds, offline, in cold storage. This is to avoid any contact with hackers.
Customers should be cautious about Binance, however, as it has a poor track record in security. In early 2019, the platform was hacked for $40 million in BTC. It also suffered another major hack in October 2022, this time costing them $570 million in BNB.
There is a silver lining to this. Sometimes, it would be more beneficial for exchanges to experience these incidents so that they can determine which part of their security to fix. As for the customer side, at least they can see how the platform handles themselves and their customer base whenever these cases happen.
Binance quickly responded to the hack and reimbursed all those affected through their Secure Asset Fund for Users. This cold storage wallet has enough capital to cover losses.
Customer Service
Binance provides three options for customer support. You have three options for customer support: submit a ticket, chat with a representative, or reach out via Twitter.
You simply need to fill out a form on the Binance website for tickets. You will be able to get email assistance by submitting a ticket.
For support, all you need to do is tag or mention Binance (@BinanceHelpDesk). Because it is more visible, Binance encourages users to tweet about their problems through this channel.
Lastly, Binance has a chat box on the bottom right corner of the support screen if you want a more direct approach. This can be accessed on the Binance website.
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Binance Pros & Cons
Pros
- Low fees
One of the reasons why Binance is among the top choices for crypto exchanges is its low fees. This is no surprise. After all, if a platform asks for lower fees, crypto traders and investors get to keep more of their investments and earnings to themselves.
- Ability to earn passive income in many ways.
It is impossible to not desire passive income. It is like getting paid while doing nothing, and Binance has a lot of opportunities for doing so. These opportunities come with inherent risks. These opportunities are not for the weak-hearted. Binance Blockchain Week Paris
- There are many Cryptocurrencies to choose from: You can purchase everything from Bitcoin to Dogecoin, Etherium and more at Binance. And that number is growing, with newly added cryptos like Fish(FISH) and Fanverse (FT).
BNB is the platform’s crypto. This allows crypto investors and traders flexibility in making their selections.
- Advanced Trading Tools
The tools that a trading platform provides to its users will determine how good it is. Binance provides enough tools to allow users to trade more easily. Investors and traders will have no trouble trading on the platform.
- Multiple ways of Depositing Money
If you don’t have any money to invest, trading is impossible. That is why, Binance allows for easier access and start to crypto trading through its multitude of ways to deposit funds
- Flexible trading Options and Order Types
Trading is like gambling. While assets and stocks may be worth a lot right now, you never know when they will lose value. Binance, one of the best trading platforms, should allow users to trade in any way they like. Binance Blockchain Week Paris
Cons
- Platform can seem overwhelming to beginners.
Multiple options and advanced tools can be a bad thing. Seeing a multitude of selections can easily overwhelm beginner users and might paralyze them from the sheer number of options given. Some experienced traders even claim they are intimidated by Binance’s many available options.
- Regulation issues in many countries
Binance has faced several regulatory and legal issues. This is a major issue that many investors are considering switching to other exchanges.
That said, the platform has been trying hard to remedy these regulatory issues and doing its best to meet the requirements to comply with and solve these issues.
- It is not available in the United States
Due to issues with the United States regulatory bodies, Binance was somewhat banned in the country. That is why the parent company created Binance U.S., a U.S.-exclusive version of the platform.
Binance U.S. has a smaller selection than the original Binance. It is not available in certain states, such as New York and Vermont.
- There is no built-in digital wallet
Many popular cryptocurrency exchange platforms include their digital wallets as part of the platform. Binance doesn’t have one. Instead, it recommends Trust Wallet, a third-party service. While it has a good reputation, there might be issues as they can only offer limited support Binance Blockchain Week Paris
Binance Last Thoughts
Let me start this final thought by saying that I am a noob when it comes to crypto. All my knowledge comes from a few youtube videos, an article here and there, and some Reddit threads.
Binance was the best platform for me because it charges very low fees. I entered cryptocurrency because I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. This is not something I intend to take seriously.
It took me no time to create my account and verify it. In a matter of minutes I was able to view the UI and all the features offered by the platform. And here is what I have to say…..
So with confidence, I can honestly back the opinion that Binance is not beginner friendly. I can tell you that the myriad of choices presented to me by Binance was pretty intimidating and overwhelming. I needed a friend to help me understand the complexities of all this stuff.
With his assistance, and some tutorials from Binance Support, it was easy to get my bearings and start trading. Though it still gets confusing, I’m getting the hang of it.
Right now, I hope I bet on the right horse, not the wrong one.
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Binance Frequently Asked Questions Binance Blockchain Week Paris
Binance is safe?
Yes, it is safe, but it does not have a good track record.
Binance does have its own security measures, but it has been hacked twice. Although the company increased its security, it will be determined if they can withstand attacks.
How do you decide if Binance is right for you?
It is hard to determine which platform is right for your needs until you have read the reviews and tried the services for yourself.
You may find Binance a good fit for you, if you:
- You’re not new to crypto trading and have intermediate-level experience in trading.
- You want a service that charges low fees and carries many currencies.
- You’re looking for advanced features in your service.
- You are an institutional trader carrying a high or ultra-high net worth.
- You are not a citizen of the United States.
Does Bianance Offer FOREX Trading?
No, Binance does not offer traditional Forex (Foreign Exchange Trading).
It lacks the currency pairing required to join FOREX. To enter FOREX-only exchanges, a company needs access to thousands. It is a far cry from Binance, which only has over 50 currency pairings.
Does Binance Offer CFD Trading?
Unlike FOREX trading, Binance does offer CFD (Contracts for Difference) trading.
These are still controversial in the crypto industry, as many prefer to own native assets. These assets, unlike CFD’s can be easily withdrawn to a personal account. That said, CFDs do have their advantage. For one, they can be very liquid.