When many users first visit Binance, they'll see both binance.com and binance.us in search results and can't tell which is the "real one." Conclusion up front: binance.com is Binance's global main site, while binance.us is Binance's independent US entity. Their accounts are not interoperable, their coin listings differ, and even their legal entities are separate. For the vast majority of non-US users, binance.com is what you want. Below we break down the differences across five key dimensions to help you fully understand which one to use. For non-US users, you can directly use these entries: Binance Official Site, Binance Official App, iOS Install Guide.
The Origins of binance.com and binance.us
Global Main Site binance.com
binance.com is the core domain used when Binance Group was founded in 2017, serving users in the vast majority of regions worldwide. It supports hundreds of crypto trading pairs, futures, options, margin, Launchpad, Earn, and nearly all product lines. Most Binance features you've heard of—futures, IEO, Launchpool, savings products—are all on binance.com.
US Regional Site binance.us
binance.us is an independent company established in 2019 to meet US regulatory requirements, operated by BAM Trading Services. While the trademark, brand colors, and look match the main site, it's a separately registered US entity with trading licenses issued by US state-level financial regulators. Under US law, US users can only use binance.us to trade and cannot use the main site.
Why Split Into Two Entities?
In the US, cryptocurrency is regulated by multiple agencies including the SEC, CFTC, and FinCEN. Security-type tokens, futures, and margin products face strict restrictions in the US. Many products on the main site binance.com (futures, high leverage, some tokens) cannot be legally offered in the US, so the Binance team chose to set up an independent US entity to serve local users. This way, the main site can continue to offer a full product range to global users, while US users have a compliant channel.
Comparison Across Five Dimensions
Operating Entity
The operating entity of binance.com was Binance Holdings Ltd., registered in the Cayman Islands (in the early days). In recent years, Binance Group has applied for local licenses in multiple jurisdictions, so the specific operating entity of the main site varies by country. The operating entity of binance.us is BAM Trading Services Inc., a company registered in the United States. The two companies are related in capital but operate independently.
Coins and Products
The main site binance.com currently supports thousands of trading pairs, including spot, USDT-margined futures, coin-margined futures, options, margin trading, Launchpad, Earn, Staking, NFTs, and more. binance.us lists only a little over one hundred coins and offers only spot trading and a small amount of Staking. Futures, options, margin, and other derivatives are completely unavailable on the US site.
Compliance and Regulation
binance.us applies for Money Transmitter Licenses (MTL) separately in each US state, and due to strict regulation in some states like New York and Texas, it can't even offer services there. binance.com handles compliance separately for each non-US country's regulatory requirements—for example, holding local licenses or registrations in Japan, France, Dubai, and the UAE. Compliance resources are invested separately by the two entities, and compliance issues are borne separately as well.
Account System
The most important point: binance.com and binance.us accounts are completely non-interoperable. The account you register on the main site cannot log in to the US site, and vice versa. Assets, order history, and KYC materials are all independent. To use both, you need to register and complete KYC separately on each.
User Interface
The two pages look very similar, but details differ: the US site has top navigation items like "Buy Crypto," "Trade," and "Earn," while the main site's navigation is more complex with additional entries like Launchpad, Launchpool, Fan Token, and NFT. The mobile apps are also two separate apps—you can't use one app to log in to accounts on both sides.
Full Comparison Table
| Comparison Item | binance.com (Global Main) | binance.us (US Regional) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Entity | Binance Holdings and local compliance entities | BAM Trading Services Inc. |
| Service Region | Worldwide except US and sanctioned countries | US only (excluding some states) |
| Supported Coins | Hundreds (nearly all major + long-tail) | Over a hundred (mainly majors) |
| Futures/Options | Full support | Not offered |
| Margin Trading | Supported | Not supported |
| Launchpad/Earn | Supported | Only some Staking |
| Fiat Channels | Multiple national currencies | USD primarily |
| KYC Level | Varies by region | US ID + SSN |
| Account Interoperability | Not interoperable with US site | Not interoperable with main site |
| Mobile App | Binance: BTC/ETH | Binance.US |
Which Should Different Users Choose?
Non-US Residents
If you're a user from mainland China, Southeast Asia, Europe, Japan, the Middle East, or similar regions, you should and can only use the binance.com main site—don't mistakenly go to the US site. The US site requires a US SSN (Social Security Number) and US ID documents to register, which you won't have.
US Residents
US residents (or US green card holders, or long-term US residents) must use binance.us per US regulatory law. US IP addresses accessing binance.com will be refused outright or redirected to the US site. Trying to bypass restrictions using a VPN to register on the main site is a violation, and your account may be frozen at any time.
People With Dual Identities
A small number of users both hold US identity and live long-term in other countries. In theory, they could register an account on each side, but this involves complex tax reporting issues. We recommend consulting a professional tax advisor. Most people don't need to hold accounts on both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Can I transfer assets from my main site binance.com account to binance.us?
Not directly. Because the two are independent companies with separate account systems, asset transfers must go through on-chain withdrawal and re-deposit. You have to initiate a withdrawal from the main site to an external address, then deposit to the US site using the same address—as two normal withdrawal/deposit operations. The process incurs on-chain fees and possibly compliance review.
Q2: Can I use a Chinese ID card to register binance.us?
No. binance.us only accepts US identification (driver's license, US passport, etc.) and a US Social Security Number (SSN) or Taxpayer ID. Chinese ID cards can't pass its KYC. If you're a Chinese citizen, you should register on the binance.com main site.
Q3: Does my BNB holding on the main site provide fee discounts on the US site?
No. Your BNB holdings, VIP level, and referral relationships on the main site don't apply to the US site. The US site has its own separate BNB discount and tier mechanisms, with rates and rules that aren't fully identical to the main site.
Q4: Which app am I downloading?
The Binance Official App corresponds to the main site binance.com. iPhone users who need the main site app should switch their Apple ID to a non-US region (see the iOS Install Guide). The "Binance.US" app shown in the US App Store belongs to the US regional site. Both app icons are yellow, but one is named Binance and the other Binance.US.
Q5: If I move to the US, should I migrate my main site account to the US site?
In theory, once you become a US tax resident, you should close your main site account and re-register on the US site. Continuing to use the main site may be judged as violating local regulations. In practice, we recommend first withdrawing all assets, then contacting customer support to close the main site account, and finally registering a new account on binance.us under your US identity.