binance.com is the global main site of Binance, while binance.us is a separate entity registered in the United States. They are not the same platform — accounts are not interoperable, the coin listings are different, and the fees differ too. Nearly all Chinese-region users should use binance.com. To download the app, enter the Binance Official Site and get the Binance Official App. iPhone users should read the iOS Install Guide first. Below is a complete breakdown of the differences.
The Basic Relationship Between the Two Entities
They Are Two Separate Companies Legally
Binance Holdings Limited operates binance.com and is registered in the Cayman Islands, serving users in most regions outside the United States. BAM Trading Services Inc. operates binance.us and is independently registered in the U.S., under FinCEN and state-level regulation.
CZ founded the Binance group, and binance.us has been operated by affiliated parties at various times, but the two companies' tech stacks, order books, and asset custody are fully independent. BTC in your binance.com account will not appear in your binance.us account and vice versa.
Why Split Into Two Sites?
In 2019, the U.S. tightened crypto compliance requirements. The main binance.com site could not satisfy the various U.S. licensing requirements, so binance.us was spun off to serve U.S. residents specifically. U.S. residents visiting binance.com get a regional restriction notice and are redirected to the .us version.
Feature-Level Differences
Core Differences at a Glance
| Comparison | binance.com | binance.us |
|---|---|---|
| Region served | Most countries outside the U.S. | U.S. residents only |
| Listed coins | Over 350 spot coins | About 160 spot coins |
| Derivatives | Perpetuals, delivery, options all supported | Spot and simple staking only |
| Max leverage | Up to 125x | No leverage |
| Maker fee | 0.1% baseline | 0.1% baseline |
| Native token | BNB | BNB (restricted on the U.S. version) |
| Fiat channels | 50+ fiat currencies | USD only |
| Regulatory framework | Cayman/Malta/Dubai, etc. | U.S. MSB + state-level MTL |
This table makes it clear that the main site vastly outperforms the U.S. version in feature depth — the U.S. version is essentially a slimmed-down, compliance-focused build.
KYC Requirements
The main site's KYC accepts identity documents from most countries. Once fully verified, daily withdrawal limits reach 50 BTC. The U.S. version's KYC requires a U.S. federal or state-issued document, plus your SSN. Non-U.S. citizens cannot complete registration.
Are Accounts Interoperable?
No — You Must Register Separately
The two sites' user databases are fully isolated. Even if you use the same email, you'll have two separate accounts on each side. Assets also can't be transferred between sites — you need to first withdraw from one to an external wallet, then deposit into the other.
What If You Move Countries?
Moving from the U.S. to elsewhere: clear out your binance.us assets first (withdraw to a wallet or another platform), then register a new account on binance.com. Vice versa as well. The two accounts cannot be merged, and trade history cannot be migrated.
Which Should Chinese-Region Users Pick?
The Short Answer
Users in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan should all use the binance.com main site. binance.us does not accept non-U.S.-resident registrations, and KYC simply won't approve.
Even if you bypass regional detection with a U.S. IP, submitting a Chinese ID during KYC will get you rejected. Forcing it is just wasted time.
Don't Mix Up APP Downloads Either
Searching "Binance" on the App Store may show two apps side by side:
- Binance: Buy Bitcoin & Crypto (global version, developer: Binance)
- Binance.US (U.S. version, developer: BAM Trading Services)
Downloading the wrong APP will cause login to fail. Chinese users should download the global version.
Fee Structure and Rebates
Spot Fees
The main site has a VIP tier system. VIP 0 maker/taker fees are 0.1%, with a 25% discount for holding BNB, and with invitation rebates the rate can drop to as low as 0.019%. At VIP 9, maker fees become 0 (rebate applies) and taker fees are 0.023%.
The U.S. version has a much simpler fee ladder. Regular users pay 0.1%, with a 5% discount for holding BNB. At the top tier, taker fees only drop to about 0.05%.
Withdrawal Fees
Withdrawal fees for the same coin may differ between the two sides. For example, USDT TRC20 withdrawal fees are 1 USDT on the main site and 2.5 USDT on the U.S. version. For frequent long-term withdrawals, the cost difference adds up.
FAQ
Q1: Will I get banned for using a U.S. IP on the main site? Possibly. The main site has geolocation detection, and a U.S. IP login will pop up a compliance warning. Repeated triggers may restrict your account — we recommend using accurate residential information.
Q2: Is binance.us still operating normally? After 2023, binance.us experienced banking channel tightening and some coin delistings. It's still operating, but with reduced functionality compared to its peak.
Q3: Is BNB priced the same on both sides? Because order books are independent, there's a price gap, but usually within 0.1%. Professional arbitrageurs watch for this spread.
Q4: Can API keys be used cross-site? No. API auth is tied to each site's account system — a main-site API key will return 401 on the .us endpoints.
Q5: Is customer support the same team? No. The main site uses support.binance.com, while the U.S. version uses support.binance.us. Tickets are not cross-synced.