Cryptocurrency, shortened as crypto, is any digital or virtual currency. To ensure that transactions are secure, cryptocurrency uses cryptography as a means of security.
Cryptocurrencies do not have a regulating or central issuing power; rather, they depend on a decentralized system to record transactions and issue new units. As such, it doesn’t rely on banks to do transactions.
What is it used for? It relies on a peer to peer system that allows anyone to send and receive money from anywhere. The currency is digitally stored on an online database which records specific transactions.
Every transaction made with cryptocurrency funds will be recorded in the public ledger. Each owner of a cryptocurrency has their funds stored 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 used to store and transmit crypto data provides security and safety as transactions between wallets, and public ledgers are happening.
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.
Meanwhile, to have these currencies exchanged or traded, one would need the services of a cryptocurrency exchange or a digital currency exchange (DCE).
A Cryptocurrency exchange is a business that allows customers to trade cryptocurrencies and digital currencies for other assets like other digital currencies or fiat money.
The functions of crypto exchanges are very similar to those offered by online brokerage platforms. They provide you with the tools to buy and sell digital currencies and tokens for different kinds of cryptocurrencies.
Crypto Exchanges accept wire transfers and credit card payments in exchange for digital currencies.
One such dedicated cryptocurrency exchange is Binance.
Binance and Overview Binance Network Settings
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.
That said, there has been news about the company signing a memorandum of understanding with Bermuda and Malta, where it could finally find its home base. Binance Network Settings
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 also has its set of unique tokens and cryptocurrencies. One of which is BUSD, a stablecoin, and the other is BNB which is known as a strong performer due to its low fees.
That said, Binance is not without its issues and dark side.
In 2021, the company was investigated by the United States Department of Justice and Internal Revenue Service on allegations of money laundering and tax offenses.
The Financial Conduct Authority of the United Kingdom ordered that the platform stop all regulated activities in June 2021. However, this ban had a limited scope and non-registered companies can still interact with UK customers.
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 Selection of Cryptos
The company is one of the largest cryptocurrency platforms on the market. Hence, it is no surprise that many cryptocurrencies and other digital currencies are available. Some of them include decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens, stable coins, alt coins, and popular cryptos.
A few examples of this include:
- 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 uses a maker/taker fee structure. Fees will vary depending on trading volume or Binance Coin (BNB). balance. The fees for trades that involve high volumes are generally lower. Binance Network Settings
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. There will be different fees depending on the type of withdrawal and payment type. 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 from crypto assets
Binance lets you earn crypto assets. Of course, these come with varying degrees 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. It is up to you to decide if these risks are worth taking. Before you jump into these opportunities, you need to be aware of what is at stake.
Advanced Trading Tools
Binance’s advanced trading features make it easy to tailor your trading options. Setting a limit to buying or selling crypto at a specific price is easy. 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. Customers can multiply their currency positions by selling leveraged tokens. This strategy is risky because it can increase losses and even cause traders to lose their whole position.
The Binance Shortcomings
This is not for newbies
Binance is not for beginners. Binance is complex platform designed for experienced traders. This platform’s goal is to maximize the profits of these traders.
We have already discussed the risks Binance offers its users in order to make passive income from their crypto holdings. The thing is, most of these features will only be useful when you know what those things mean and what you are doing.
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. You also have a lot of educational resources.
Binance isn’t very beginner-friendly, but it has many resources that can help those who are interested. Binance is not the place where you can just buy Bitcoin and then relax. Binance Network Settings
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. Binance has not been charged and no criminal charges have been filed. Should anything come out of this, only time will tell.
Binance took steps to improve its compliance team, and keep regulators in line. This could be difficult as many of the products that Binance customers love are also those that attract regulatory attention.
It is 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 also trades over 120 cryptocurrencies and does not offer futures trading or leveraged token. It is also not available in all countries. It is not available in Hawaii, New York or Texas.
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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 has a huge range of services. These include:
- Trade, buy, and sell 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
- Its tax reporting tool will help you keep track of all your tax obligations
That said, it still bears repeating that the platform’s broad range of products is what landed them on the crosshairs of many regulatory bodies around the world. Binance warns users about the potential risks of investing on the platform.
The system also features an anti-addiction feature in case traders get too involved with trading. When a trader suffers heavy losses or a continuous losing streak, the system reminds the user of the risk involved in derivatives trading. They are encouraged to take a break from trading and rest.
The platform believes that responsible traders must be critical and maintain control to avoid compulsive trading and gambling.
These are all just reminders; ultimately, it is up to the retail investors how they manage the risk and how they should keep their money.
Sign up for your Binance account
It takes just minutes to create and register your Binance account. There are two types of accounts available: unverified and verified.
For Unverified users:
- Click the register button on the Binance homepage
- Enter Email address
- Set up a password
- Accept Binance’s Terms and Conditions of Use
- Click “Create Account”
- Register by email to confirm your registration
For Verified Accounts
- Register now for an unverified Account
- Log in to your account
- Click Identity Verification in the User Center
- Choose Personal
- Please fill in your details
- Choose an ID type for document verification, such as a Passport or Driver’s license
- Take a photo or upload a file of your document
- Take a picture of yourself
- Click confirm after you have uploaded the document and image.
- Binance will then review your submission as soon as they can. Binance Network Settings
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. These tools include real-time charting with moving averages or exponential moving averages. Trades can also be made easy and accessible through the Binance mobile app, Binance website or Binance desktop application.
Traders can also use the platform to look at their portfolios and trade history. The platform allows them to view their order book and price charts. You can also choose from a variety of order types. They can stop orders, limit orders, stop-limit orders, stop-market orders, and trailing stop 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 your wallet
Binance provides a custodial wallet through its platform. It also recommends Trust Wallet, which supports thousands of cryptocurrencies on most major blockchains. It is easy to withdraw from Binance to a Trust Wallet or other external crypto wallet.
Usually, withdrawals are complete within 10 minutes, and even the costs are minimal. 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. This does not mean users are exempt from any charges. Users of Binance are still required to pay fees for using the platform.
Deposit and withdrawal fees
Deposit fees depend on the currency and method of payment. Although bank transfers are usually free, debit card payments will often incur fees.
Binance may allow you to make credit card or debit card payments, bank transfer, and peer-to-peer payments depending on where you live.
As for withdrawing money, you can do so as a fiat currency to a bank account. You can also withdraw crypto to a wallet or another exchange. Fees for these withdrawals and minimum amounts will be based on your method and currency. Binance Network Settings
Trading Fees
Your trading fee percentage will depend on your trading history in the past 30 days and the volume in the past 30 days. 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.
It also encourages users to use their native currency, 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 4999,999 with at least 25 BNB | 0.09%/0.10% |
2 | 5,000,000 to 19,999,999 and 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 | 2,500,000,000 to 4,999,999,999 and 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 uses address whitelisting, device administration, and the ability restrict device access.
Binance also claims to have its own insurance fund made by storing 10% of all trading fees in a secure 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.
Lastly, as its main security feature, Binance keeps most of 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. The customer side can at least see how the platform handles them and their customers when these incidents occur.
In Binance’s case, they quickly responded and immediately reimbursed anyone affected by the hack through their Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU). This cold storage wallet keeps enough capital to cover users’ 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.
To obtain tickets, you simply need to complete a form on Binance’s website. You will be able to get email assistance by submitting a ticket.
If you are approaching them through Twitter, you only need to tag or mention Binance on their Twitter account (@BinanceHelpDesk) for support. 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. You can access this on the Binance website.
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Binance Pros & Cons
Pros
- Low Fees
Low fees are one of the main reasons Binance is a top choice for crypto exchanges. It is a no-brainer. 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.
Whoever does not want to earn passive income. Binance offers many opportunities to make passive income. It’s like being paid for nothing. That said, these opportunities also carry inherent risks in them. These opportunities are not for the weak-hearted. Binance Network Settings
- 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).
The platform even has its crypto in the form of BNB. These multiple selections allow crypto traders and investors flexibility in their choices.
- 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
You cannot start trading if you have no money at stake. Binance makes it easier to start crypto trading by making it easy to deposit funds through its many ways.
- 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 Network Settings
Cons
- Platform can seem overwhelming to beginners.
Multiple options and advanced tools can be a bad thing. A multitude of choices can overwhelm beginners and make it difficult to choose from. Some experienced traders even claim they are intimidated by Binance’s many available options.
- Issues with Regulation 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. Furthermore, it is also not available in some U.S. states like New York and Vermont.
- No built-in digital wallet available
Most popular cryptocurrency exchange platforms have their digital wallets built-in and included in. Binance doesn’t have one. Instead, it recommends Trust Wallet, a third-party service. Although it is a well-respected service, they may not be able to offer sufficient support. Binance Network Settings
Binance Last Thoughts
Let me begin by saying that I’m a complete beginner when it comes 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. I am not planning to take this seriously (yet).
It took me no time to create my account and verify it. Within just a few minutes, I could look at the UI and everything the platform offers. 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. Although it is still confusing at times, I am slowly getting the hang of trading.
Right now, I hope I bet on the right horse, not the wrong one.
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Binance Frequently Asked Questions Binance Network Settings
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. The company did beef up its security, but in the end, time will judge if these security measures can survive attacks.
How do you decide if Binance is right for you?
To be honest, it is difficult to pinpoint which platform is right for you until you read their reviews and try the services yourself.
However, for the sake of having an answer, you may deem Binance is a right fit for you if:
- 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.
CFD trading is offered by Binance
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. Unlike CFD’s, these assets can easily be withdrawn to a personal wallet. That said, CFDs do have their advantage. They can be extremely liquid.