Binance's global compliance strategy is "one entity per country" — the main site binance.com is operated by Binance Holdings, the US-based binance.us is operated by the independent company BAM Trading Services, and the Japanese binance.co.jp is operated by Sakura Exchange BitCoin, which was acquired in 2022. The three have completely independent account systems, KYC, and liquidity pools, and they do not communicate with each other. Choosing the wrong version might lead to KYC failure, unavailable trading pairs, or even the need to withdraw all funds and re-register. This article details the core differences across 9 dimensions and provides the best choice for users of different nationalities. To quickly confirm which version is suitable for you, first check the currently available entries on the Binance Official Site or download the Binance Official APP and use the in-app smart selection routing.
1. Legal Structures of the Three Versions
binance.com (Global Version / International Version)
- Operating Entity: Binance Holdings Limited;
- Headquarters Registration: Cayman Islands / Seychelles (migrated to Dubai after 2024);
- Primary Licenses: Dubai VASP Tier 2, France AMF DASP, Italy OAM, Poland KNF;
- User Coverage: Worldwide except for restricted areas like the US, mainland China, and Ontario, Canada;
- Fiat Support: 50+ fiat channels including EUR, GBP, AUD, JPY, IDR, BRL;
- Year Founded: 2017.
binance.us (US Version)
- Operating Entity: BAM Trading Services Inc.;
- Headquarters Registration: California, USA;
- Primary Licenses: FinCEN MSB, Money Transmitter License (MTL) in various states;
- User Coverage: Residents of compliant US states (excluding restrictions in Hawaii, New York, and parts of Texas);
- Fiat Support: US Dollar (USD) only;
- Year Founded: 2019.
binance.co.jp (Japan Version)
- Operating Entity: Binance Japan KK;
- Headquarters Registration: Tokyo;
- Primary Licenses: Japan Financial Services Agency (FSA) Crypto Asset Exchange Provider registration;
- User Coverage: Residents of Japan;
- Fiat Support: Japanese Yen (JPY);
- Year Founded: 2022 (renamed after the acquisition of Sakura Exchange BitCoin).
2. Core Differences Across 9 Dimensions
| Dimension | binance.com | binance.us | binance.co.jp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulation | Globally decentralized | US Federal + State | Japan FSA |
| KYC Difficulty | Medium | High | Highest |
| Supported Coins | 380+ | 160+ | 50+ |
| Trading Pairs | 2000+ | 200+ | 80+ |
| Max Leverage | 125x (Futures) | 10x (Spot Margin) | 2x |
| Futures/Options | Full support | Not supported | Not supported |
| Staking / Earn | 300+ products | 10+ products | Basic |
| BNB Fee Rebate | Supported | Not supported | Not supported |
| Withdrawal Channels | Global banks + Crypto addresses | US banks only | Japanese banks only |
3. Differences in Trading Coins and Pairs
Listed Coins on binance.com
- Spot Trading Pairs: Approx. 2000+
- Supported Coins: 380+ major + altcoins
- New Coin Listing Frequency: Average of 2-3 projects per week
- Popular Trading Pairs: BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, BNB/USDT, SOL/USDT, DOGE/USDT, etc.
- Features: Launchpad first-time projects, Margin leverage, Perpetual futures, Options
Listed Coins on binance.us
- Spot Trading Pairs: Approx. 200+
- Supported Coins: 160+, reviewed for compliance with the US SEC
- New Coin Listing Frequency: 1-2 projects per month
- Popular Trading Pairs: BTC/USD, ETH/USD, SOL/USD, ADA/USD, DOT/USD, etc.
- Major Omissions: BNB, BUSD, MATIC (at times), SOL (at times), etc., which have been identified as securities by the SEC
- Features: US dollar fiat channel, compliant with FinCEN regulations
Listed Coins on binance.co.jp
- Spot Trading Pairs: Approx. 80+
- Supported Coins: 50+, restricted by the FSA whitelist
- New Coin Listing Frequency: 1-2 projects per quarter
- Popular Trading Pairs: BTC/JPY, ETH/JPY, XRP/JPY, LTC/JPY
- Major Omissions: Most altcoins, very few DeFi tokens
- Features: Direct trading with Japanese yen, compliant with Japanese tax reporting requirements
4. KYC Process Differences
KYC on binance.com
L1 Basic Verification:
- Materials: Mobile number or email + Name + Country + Date of birth;
- Speed: Instant approval;
- Limit: Daily withdrawal limit of 0.06 BTC (approx. $5,000).
L2 Intermediate Verification:
- Materials: Front and back of ID card/passport + selfie with the document;
- Speed: 5 minutes - 2 hours AI audit;
- Limit: Daily withdrawal limit of 100 BTC (approx. $8 million).
L3 Advanced Verification:
- Materials: Proof of address (utility bill, bank statement, within 6 months);
- Speed: 1-3 business days;
- Limit: No fixed daily withdrawal limit.
KYC on binance.us
Basic:
- Materials: Name + Address + last 4 digits of Social Security Number (SSN);
- Speed: A few minutes;
- Limit: Daily deposit $10,000, withdrawal $10,000.
Plus (Complete):
- Materials: Full SSN + ID card + selfie with ID + proof of address;
- Speed: 3-5 business days;
- Limit: Daily deposit $100,000, withdrawal $1,000,000.
Key Difference: binance.us requires a US Social Security Number (SSN); non-US residents cannot pass KYC.
KYC on binance.co.jp
- Materials: My Number card + proof of address + Japanese residence card + Japanese bank account;
- Speed: 5-7 business days (sent via postal confirmation letter);
- Limit: Related to FSA regulations, requires users to self-declare asset status.
Key Difference: binance.co.jp requires Japanese proof of residence and a Japanese bank account; foreigners with only a tourist visa cannot pass.
5. Fiat Deposits and Withdrawals
Fiat Channels on binance.com
- SEPA (EUR): 0 fee, 1-2 business days to arrive;
- UK Faster Payments (GBP): 0 fee, a few minutes to arrive;
- C2C Market: Supports 100+ fiat currencies, peer-to-peer instant arrival;
- Credit/Debit Card: 1.8% fee, supports Visa/Master/JCB;
- Advcash / Payeer: Electronic wallet access in some regions;
- Apple Pay / Google Pay: Mobile payments in some regions.
Fiat Channels on binance.us
- ACH Transfer: 0 fee, 3-5 business days to arrive;
- Wire Transfer: $15 fee, 1-2 business days;
- Debit Card: 4.5% fee;
- Instant Buy: Higher fees;
- PayPal and Cash App are not supported.
Fiat Channels on binance.co.jp
- Japanese Bank Transfer: 330 JPY per transaction, arrives the same day;
- Convenience Store Payment: 770 JPY per transaction;
- Credit cards are not supported (prohibited by Japan FSA);
- Overseas banks are not supported.
6. Trading Fee Comparison
binance.com Fees (VIP Level 0)
- Spot Maker / Taker: 0.1% / 0.1%;
- BNB Rebate: 25% off (actual 0.075%);
- USDT-margined Futures Maker / Taker: 0.02% / 0.05%;
- Coin-margined Futures Maker / Taker: 0.01% / 0.05%;
- Withdrawal Fee: Varies by coin and network; USDT TRC20 is only 1 USDT.
binance.us Fees
- Spot Maker / Taker: 0.1% / 0.1%;
- No BNB rebate;
- No futures trading;
- ACH deposit free, withdrawal fee $15 via wire;
- Some trading pairs are fee-free for the first 30 days for new users.
binance.co.jp Fees
- Spot Maker / Taker: 0.1% / 0.1%;
- No BNB rebate;
- No futures trading;
- Withdrawal fee is calculated on a tiered basis according to the JPY amount.
Conclusion: binance.com has the most favorable fees because it supports BNB rebates and VIP level accumulation.
7. API and Automated Trading
API for binance.com
- REST API endpoints: 500+;
- WebSocket streams: 200+;
- Weight Limit: 6,000 weight per minute;
- Default Order Count: 100 per second;
- WebSocket Connections: 300 per IP;
- SDK Coverage: Official libraries for Python, Node.js, Go, Java, and Rust.
API for binance.us
- Fewer endpoints (approx. 100+);
- Weight Limit: 1,200 weight per minute;
- Some advanced order types are unavailable;
- SDKs are maintained independently and are not fully compatible with the .com version.
API for binance.co.jp
- API documentation is Japanese only;
- Endpoints are streamlined;
- Primarily used for Japanese compliant institution access.
For quantitative traders: binance.com is the only choice with the most comprehensive features. For detailed configuration, see the [API Integration](/en/vault/API Integration/) category.
8. How Users Should Choose the Correct Version
If you are in the following situation → binance.com
- Not a resident of the US or Japan;
- Resident of mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Europe, South America, Africa, or the Middle East;
- Need advanced features like futures, options, or Launchpad;
- Need support for multiple fiat channels;
- Quantitative trading or API access.
If you are in the following situation → binance.us
- US citizen or US permanent resident cardholder;
- Have a US Social Security Number (SSN);
- Have a US bank account for ACH;
- Primarily spot trading, no need for futures;
- Need to comply with IRS tax reporting.
If you are in the following situation → binance.co.jp
- Japanese national or long-term Japanese resident;
- Have a Japanese residence card and a My Number card;
- Have a local Japanese bank account;
- Only trade JPY against major coins;
- Need local Japanese-language customer service.
Must Confirm Before Registration
Nationality, place of residence, and bank account location must be truly aligned. If you are a Chinese person in the US and submit a US address during KYC but use a Chinese passport, it might lead to your account being flagged or even frozen. It is recommended to choose the version according to your primary place of residence.
9. Cross-Version Account Migration
Direct Migration Not Supported
The account systems of the three versions are completely independent, and one-click migration is not supported. If you need to switch from binance.com to binance.us (e.g., after moving to the US), you must:
- Withdraw all assets from binance.com to a crypto wallet;
- Close the binance.com account or keep it as an empty account;
- Re-register for free on binance.us;
- Complete new KYC;
- Deposit assets from the crypto wallet into binance.us.
Precautions During Migration
- Withdrawal fees can be high; the cost of migrating large amounts of assets might reach $50-200;
- Some coins might not be listed on the target version; they need to be exchanged for USDT before migration;
- Tax aspect: "withdrawal + deposit" across versions might trigger a taxable event;
- Historical trading records cannot be migrated; you need to consolidate them yourself when filing taxes.
Can I Have Accounts for Different Versions at the Same Time?
Theoretically, no. Binance's KYC system performs global deduplication; the same ID card/passport cannot be registered on binance.com and binance.us simultaneously. If you have dual citizenship for the US and another country, you can register with different national identities, but pay attention to asset compliance reporting.
10. Customer Service and Support for Each Version
binance.com
- 24-hour live chat;
- Supports 40+ languages including Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish;
- Email:
[email protected]; - Tiered ticket system (priority for VIP accounts);
- Official Telegram channel (read-only announcements);
- Official X account: @binance.
binance.us
- 24-hour live chat (English only);
- Email:
[email protected]; - Phone Support: 1-800-xxx-xxxx (within the US);
- Official X account: @BinanceUS.
binance.co.jp
- 9:00-18:00 Japan Time online customer service;
- Email:
[email protected]; - Japanese-only service;
- Official X account: @BinanceJapan.
Common Questions FAQ
Q1: I am a user in mainland China. Which version should I choose?
A: binance.com International. When mainland users register for binance.com, they choose "China" as their nationality and use their mainland ID card for KYC. binance.us explicitly only serves US residents (SSN required), and binance.co.jp only serves Japanese residents. Visit the Binance Official Site to enter from the download page.
Q2: I have already registered for binance.com. Can I register for binance.us with the same identity?
A: You cannot register directly; KYC will fail. Binance's KYC database is shared globally, and the same identity is mutually exclusive across different versions. You can only re-do KYC in a new version after your nationality changes (e.g., after immigration).
Q3: Can binance.us withdraw coins to a binance.com address?
A: Yes. Both are crypto asset exchanges, and withdrawing coins only requires a blockchain address. To withdraw USDT from binance.us to a binance.com deposit address, just perform an on-chain transfer, but pay attention to the choice of network (ERC20/TRC20/BSC, etc.), and this might trigger tax records in both places.
Q4: Can Japanese users register for binance.com?
A: Historically they could, but after Binance Japan was established in 2023, Japanese residents are restricted to using binance.co.jp, and attempts to access binance.com with a Japanese IP will be redirected. If you are a foreigner on a short-term tourist visa in Japan, you can still use binance.com normally with your original country's ID.
Q5: Are the APPs for the three versions the same?
A: No. There are three independent applications in the App Store: "Binance", "Binance.US", and "Binance Japan", each connecting to its respective version's backend. Confirm the version before downloading, and visit the Binance Official Site to get the APP download entry for the corresponding version.
Want to see in-depth comparisons of specific features? View the "App Download" or "Register Account" categories. Return to Category Navigation or All Tutorials for more content.