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.
So what does it use? 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.
Each time a transaction is done with cryptocurrency funds, it will be recorded in a 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 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.
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.
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 Mainnet Binance
For those of you who prefer a more visual experience, here is a video review from Beau Troxclair on his YouTube channel 0xBeau. To get a comprehensive overview of Binance, you may still want to check out our article below.
When it comes to cryptocurrency exchanges, Binance continues to be one of the top cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. Binance has the largest trading volume of any cryptocurrency exchange and offers users the most trading pairs in cryptocurrency.
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. Since then, it has moved from Japan and Malta but did not have a permanent place to call home.
However, news has come out that the company signed a memorandum with Bermuda and Malta to finally establish its home base. Mainnet Binance
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.
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.
In the same year, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority ordered the platform to stop all regulated activity in the country in June 2021. However, this ban had a limited scope and non-registered companies can still interact with UK customers.
It was originally set up in the spring of that year to launch a digital asset marketplace in Britain. However, it withdrew its application because it did not meet 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. 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
No platform offers trading currencies and tokens for free. 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. 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. The fees for trades that involve high volumes are generally lower. Mainnet Binance
What’s more, is that users can also get fee discounts for some services. Such as:
- Trades using Binance (BNB), coins
- You can become a Very Important Person (VIP) by trading certain 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. As a sample, you refer to the chart below
Type of payment | Fees |
|
|
We can discuss more about fees in a later section.
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Passive income from crypto assets
Binance allows you to earn from your crypto assets. Of course, these come with varying degrees of risk. You have two options: earning a higher rate of interest (or more) on cryptos through its staking program, or placing assets in flexible savings accounts to get lower but more consistent rates.
There are more available staking options available on the platform. They also pay higher rates than 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. Before you jump into these opportunities, you need to be aware of what is at stake.
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. It even accommodates beginner users with its “convert” function.
The advanced trading interface has a lot of charting options that are a delight for veteran traders. 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. 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. 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. The thing is, most of these features will only be useful when you know what those things mean and what you are doing.
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. Binance also has a simple interface that is suitable for beginners. You also have a lot of educational resources.
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. Mainnet Binance
Regulatory Attention
As we have already mentioned, Binance has faced many problems. Major countries that have it in for Binance include Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Singapore, and Thailand.
The United States authorities are investigating the platform for potential money laundering, tax evasion, and even insider trading. So far, no charges have been filed, and Binance has denied any wrongdoing. Only time will tell if anything comes out of this.
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.
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. This U.S. version of Binance has fewer features and cryptocurrencies offered.
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’s unavailable in Hawaii, New York, Texas, or Vermont.
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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. These include:
- Trade, buy, and sell cryptocurrency
- Establish recurring purchases
- Earn passive income
- Access advanced features such as crypto derivative products, limits orders, and peer-to-peer trading
- 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
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. 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.
Signing Up to Your Binance Account
Creating and registering your very own Binance account is simple and can be done within a few minutes. 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 of Use
- Click “Create Account”
- Register by email to confirm your registration
For Verified Accounts
- Register now for an unverified Account
- Login to your account
- Go to User Center and click Identity Verification
- 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
- After uploading the required document and photo, click confirm.
- Binance will then review it as soon as possible. Mainnet Binance
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.
The platform allows traders to view their trade history and portfolios. The platform allows them to view their order book and price charts. You can also choose from a variety 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 your wallet
Binance provides a custodial wallet through its platform. Trust Wallet is also recommended by Binance, which supports thousands upon thousands of cryptocurrencies across all major blockchains. It’s easy to transfer funds from Binance to a Trust Wallet, or another 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
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. Although bank transfers are usually free, debit card payments will often incur fees.
Depending on your country, Binance might allow credit or debit card payments, bank transfers, and peer-to-peer payments.
As for withdrawing money, you can do so as a fiat currency to a bank account. You can also withdraw cryptocurrency to a wallet, or another exchange. Fees for these withdrawals and minimum amounts will be based on your method and currency. Mainnet Binance
Trade 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).
The platform also encourages the use of its own native currency, the Binance Coin (BNB). Anyone doing so can get a 25% discount on the trading fee. 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 | Less than 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 | 20,000,000 to 119,999,999 and at least 250 BNB | 0.07% / 0.10% |
4 | 120,000,000 to 199,999,999 and 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 999,999,999 and at least 1,750 BNB | 0.05% / 0.07% |
7 | Between 1,000,000,000 and 2,499,999.999999 and at most 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 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 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 done to prevent hackers from getting in touch.
That said, customers should still be wary of Binance since its security needs a better track record. In early 2019, the platform was hacked for $40 million in BTC. Another major hack occurred in October 2022. This time, it cost 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.
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
In terms of customer support, Binance offers three basic options. 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). Binance has been known to encourage users to tweet their issues through this channel as it has more visibility.
If you need to get in touch with Binance directly, there is a chat box at the bottom right corner. This can be accessed 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. 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.
Whoever does not want to earn 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. Mainnet Binance
- 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.
BNB is the platform’s crypto. 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. As such, traders and investors will not have a hard time doing trade on the platform.
- There are many ways to deposit 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 Order Types and Trading Options
Bear in mind, trading is like a gamble. 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. Mainnet Binance
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 been faced with numerous legal and regulatory issues. In fact, this is a glaring issue that has multiple investors considering 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.
However, Binance U.S. is more limited than the original Binance. Furthermore, it is also not available in some U.S. states like 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. For some reason, Binance does not. Rather it recommends a third-party service called Trust Wallet. Although it is a well-respected service, they may not be able to offer sufficient support. Mainnet Binance
Binance Last Thoughts
Let me start this final thought by saying that I am a noob when it comes to crypto. My knowledge is based on a few YouTube videos, articles here and there, as well as some Reddit threads.
Binance was the best platform for me because it charges very low fees. I joined cryptocurrency to find out what all the fuss was 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. Let me tell you…..
So with confidence, I can honestly back the opinion that Binance is not beginner friendly. Binance presented me with a lot of options that were overwhelming and intimidating. I had to get a friend to teach me what all the stuff was all about.
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.
As of right now, I want to bet on the right horse and not the wrong one.
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Binance Frequently Asked Questions Mainnet Binance
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 Would 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 are not a newbie in crypto trading, and you have intermediate to the advanced crypto trading experience.
- You need a service that is affordable and can accept many currencies.
- You are looking for a service with many advanced features.
- An institutional trader is one with a high net worth.
- You are not a citizen of the United States.
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. This is quite a distance from Binance which has only 50 currency pairs.
Does Binance Offer CFD Trading?
Binance offers CFD (Contracts For Difference) trading.
They are still controversial in crypto, and many prefer native assets. These assets, unlike CFD’s can be easily withdrawn to a personal account. However, CFDs have their advantages. They can be extremely liquid.