Cryptocurrency, shortened as crypto, is any digital or virtual currency. Cryptography is used to ensure transactions are secure.
Cryptocurrencies do not have a regulating or central issuing power; rather, they depend on a decentralized system to record transactions and issue new units. It doesn’t depend on banks to conduct transactions.
What is it used for? It relies on a peer to peer system that allows anyone to send and receive money from 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 is still the most well-known cryptocurrency today. It is not the only cryptocurrency. Other cryptocurrency options include DogeCoin and Ethereum, BNB (Binance Coin), Tether and Solana.
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 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. They provide you with the tools to buy and sell digital currencies and tokens for different kinds of cryptocurrencies.
Crypto Exchanges can accept credit card payments, wire transfers, or other forms of payment in exchange for digital currencies or cryptocurrencies.
Binance is one such dedicated cryptocurrency exchange.
Binance and Overview How Does Binance Work
For those of you who prefer a more visual experience, here is a video review from Beau Troxclair on his YouTube channel 0xBeau. You can still read our article for a complete overview of Binance.
Binance is still the best cryptocurrency exchange in the world when it comes to cryptocurrency trading. Binance has the largest trading volume of any cryptocurrency exchange and offers users the most trading pairs in cryptocurrency.
Binance was founded in 2017 by Changpeng Zhao (“CZ” Zhao). Although it was originally based in China, it was quickly relocated to the United States due to increasing crypto restrictions. Since then, it has moved from Japan and Malta but did not have a permanent place to call 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. How Does Binance Work
Binance’s popularity was due to its user base who liked the low fees, availability of cryptocurrencies and innovative products. Currently, the platform offers a multitude of crypto-based products.
From Binance, you can avail of such services as exchange, earn, staking, derivatives, loans, payments, credit cards, NFTs, and more.
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. Some of them include decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens, stable coins, alt coins, and popular cryptos.
Here are some examples:
- Binance Coins (BNB).
- VeChain (VET)
- Harmony (ONE)
- VeThor (VTHO)
- Dogecoin (DOGE).
- Matic Network (MATIC).
Binance offers support for popular cryptocurrencies like:
- 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. Binance is a trading platform that offers deals that are often as good as free. Comparable to other cryptocurrency exchanges, which charge commissions and fees, this is quite a difference. So far, the highest spot trading fee is 0.1%.
The platform employs a maker/taker fee structure, and fees will vary depending on trading volume and Binance Coin (BNB) balance. The fees for trades that involve high volumes are generally lower. How Does Binance Work
What’s more, is that users can also get fee discounts for some services. These include:
- Trades using Binance (BNB), coins
- If you achieve Very Important Person (VIP status) by trading a certain amount of assets.
That said, Binance users are still subject to other fees. There will be different fees depending on the type of withdrawal and payment type. The chart below is an example.
Payment Type | Fees |
|
|
We can discuss more about fees in a later section.
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Passive Income on Crypto Assets
Binance allows you to earn from your 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 even pay higher rates than most other exchanges.
For riskier opportunities, you can try to earn income by adding liquidity on pairs of tokens. 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 tools provide an easy way to customize your trading options. Setting a limit to buying or selling crypto at a specific price is easy. With its “convert” function, it even caters to beginners.
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. 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 definitely not for beginners. It is a complicated platform created with experienced and veteran traders in mind. This platform’s goal is to maximize the profits of these traders.
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.
The most risky opportunities are where novice traders and beginners lose their money. It takes years of experience and honed gut feeling to understand the inherent and hidden risks some trades carry with them.
It can be difficult to navigate the vast market selection and in-depth dashboards offered by the platform, especially for those just starting out 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.
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. How Does Binance Work
Regulatory Attention
As covered in the overview, one of Binance’s main drawbacks is that it has been in the crosshairs of some countries. It is currently in the crosshairs of several countries, including Japan, 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.
In response, Binance has taken steps to strengthen its compliance team and keep regulators onside. However, this could prove to be a difficult endeavor as most of the products that make Binance attractive to customers are also the ones attracting regulatory attention.
It is not available in the U.S.
Due to US regulations, Binance.US was created as a separate platform for U.S. customers. 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 is not available in Hawaii, New York or Texas.
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How it All Works
We’ve seen the positive and negative aspects of Binance. Now we can talk about how it all works.
As we know, Binance functions as a cryptocurrency exchange. It has a huge range of services. Some of these include:
- Trade, buy, and sell cryptocurrency
- Establish recurring purchases
- Earn passive income
- Advanced features like crypto derivative products, limits orders and peer-to-peer trading are available.
- Trade non-fungible tokens (NFTs)
- To get exposure to new cryptos, you can join Binance’s Launchpad or Launchpool
- Access portfolio insights, plus live tracking and alerts
- Keep track of your tax obligations with its tax reporting tool
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.
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. 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 just reminders. Retail investors will ultimately decide how to manage risk and where they should invest their money.
Signing Up to Your Binance Account
Creating and registering your very own Binance account is simple and can be done within a few minutes. You are also given the choice of two types of accounts: Verified and unverified accounts.
For Unverified users:
- Click the register button on the Binance homepage
- Enter your email address
- Set up a password
- Accept Binance’s Terms of Use
- Click “Create Account”
- Confirm registration through email
For Verified Accounts
- Register now for an unverified Account
- Log in to your account
- Click Identity Verification in the User Center
- Select Personal
- 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 photo of yourself
- Click confirm after you have uploaded the document and image.
- Binance will then review it as soon as possible. How Does Binance Work
From then on, you will have to wait for an email from Binance to ensure that your account has been verified.
Trading Experience
Binance provides a wide range of trading tools, as we have already mentioned. 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. They can view the 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. Views range from classic to margin and OTC views.
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Trust Wallet
Binance provides a custodial wallet through its platform. It also recommends Trust Wallet, which supports thousands of cryptocurrencies on most major blockchains. It’s easy to transfer funds from Binance to a Trust Wallet, or another 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
Binance is known for 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
Deposit fees depend on the currency and method of payment. 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. Fees for these withdrawals and minimum amounts will be based on your method and currency. How Does Binance Work
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. The amount of BNB you hold will also matter.
Some people, like Maker orders (those that add liquidity to the market), will also get lower fees than taker orders (those that remove liquidity orders from the market).
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 also offers 0% trading on selected Bitcoin and Binance USD (BUSD) pairs.
The chart below shows how VIP status, the 30-day trade volume, and maker/taker are related.
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 | 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 | 200,000,000 to 499,999,999 and at least 1,000 BNB | 0.06% / 0.08% |
6 | 500,000,000 to 999,999,999 and at least 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
Since Binance handles multiple sensitive and high stakes data, and it should be expected that the platform has good and robust security measures to protect its assets as well as their client base.
Binance offers two-factor authentication via the Google Authenticator app, or a short message service for customers. It also uses address whitelisting, device management, and the ability to 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 is meant to cover any losses from hacking, an incident that Binance is familiar with (more on that 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. The platform was hacked in early 2019 for $40 million in BTC. It also suffered another major hack in October 2022, this time costing them $570 million in BNB.
However, there is a bright side to this; sometimes, it would be better to have exchanges experience these incidents so they know which part of their security they should focus on and fix. As for the customer side, at least they can see how the platform handles themselves and their customer base whenever these cases happen.
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 has enough capital to cover losses.
Customer Service
Binance provides three options for customer support. You can submit a ticket, ask a basic question through chat, and 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.
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. 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. 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.
- You have the ability to make passive income in many different ways.
It is impossible to not desire 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. How Does Binance Work
- There are many Cryptocurrencies to choose from: You can purchase everything from Bitcoin to Dogecoin, Etherium and more at Binance. With the addition of cryptos such as Fish (FISH) or Fanverse (FT), that number is increasing.
The platform even has its crypto in the form of BNB. 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. In the case of Binance, it gives users enough tools for a more flexible trading experience. As such, traders and investors will not have a hard time doing trade on the platform.
- There are many ways to deposit 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. The assets and stock own may be valuable now, but you will never know when their values will drop. Binance, one of the best trading platforms, should allow users to trade in any way they like. How Does Binance Work
Cons
- Platform can be overwhelming for beginner users.
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. Binance’s numerous options can even be intimidating to some traders who are more experienced.
- Issues with Regulation in many countries
Binance has been faced with numerous legal and regulatory 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.
- Not available in the United States
Binance was temporarily banned in the United States due to problems with US regulatory bodies. Binance U.S. was created by the parent company to provide a U.S-exclusive version.
However, Binance U.S. is more limited than the original Binance. It is not available in certain states, such as New York and Vermont.
- No built-in digital wallet available
Many popular cryptocurrency exchange platforms include their digital wallets as part of the platform. For some reason, Binance does not. Rather it recommends a third-party service called Trust Wallet. While it has a good reputation, there might be issues as they can only offer limited support How Does Binance Work
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.
I chose Binance for the main reason that many choose the platform, and that is because of its 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.
Creating my account from scratch and verifying it took no time. In a matter of minutes I was able to view the UI and all the features offered by the platform. Let me tell you…..
With confidence, I can say that Binance is not for beginners. 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.
So with his help, along with some tutorials found in Binance Support, I was able to get some of my bearings and begin 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 How Does Binance Work
Is Binance 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 Would 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.
You may find Binance a good fit for you, if you:
- You are not a newbie in crypto trading, and you have intermediate to the advanced crypto trading experience.
- You want a service that charges low fees and carries many currencies.
- You’re looking for advanced features in your service.
- An institutional trader is one with a high net worth.
- You live outside the U.S.
Bianance offers FOREX trading
No, Binance does not offer traditional Forex (Foreign Exchange Trading).
The main reason is that it lacks the amount of currency pairing needed to join the FOREX exchange. 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?
Binance offers 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. However, CFDs have their advantages. They can be extremely liquid.