Binance exchange
Overview
Binance is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world by daily trading volume, founded in July 2017 by Changpeng Zhao (CZ) and Yi He. It began in China, then moved operations to Japan and Malta, and as of the most recent reporting it has no single official corporate headquarters, operating instead through a patchwork of national entities and licences. The exchange had roughly 120 million users globally as of mid-2023. Its native token BNB launched in July 2017 on Ethereum, migrated to its own BNB Smart Chain in September 2020, and was rebranded from 'Binance Coin' to 'Build’N’Build' in February 2022. On 21 November 2023 Binance pleaded guilty to violating US anti-money-laundering rules and paid a $4.3 billion fine, agreeing to enhanced compliance monitoring. Richard Teng became CEO after CZ stepped down, and Yi He was appointed co-CEO in December 2025. Binance launched in July 2017 and grew into the dominant global spot and derivatives venue within a few years, while repeatedly relocating its corporate base. The defining event was the November 2023 US Department of Justice resolution: a guilty plea, a $4.3 billion penalty, and CZ's resignation as CEO plus a personal $50 million fine, although he retained ownership. CZ was sentenced to four months in prison in April 2024, released in September 2024, and pardoned by President Trump in October 2025.
Within the DeFi Intel graph, Binance connects to 54 tracked entities, most strongly to BlackRock, Coinbase, Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (Dubai).
Relations
Top connections in the DeFi Intel knowledge graph (confidence-weighted, 10 of 54 total).
| Relation | Connected entity | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
partnered_with | BlackRock | 95% |
competes-with | Coinbase | 95% |
regulated_by | Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (Dubai) | 95% |
regulated_by | CFTC | 95% |
integrates | BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) | 95% |
regulated_by | ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority | 95% |
regulated_by | DOJ | 95% |
regulated_by | OFAC | 95% |
regulated_by | FinCEN | 95% |
submitted_to | DOJ | 95% |
Company intelligence
Binance is the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by daily trading volume, offering spot, derivatives, earn, launchpad, and the BNB Chain ecosystem.
Investors
- MGX Strategic Investor
Products
- Binance Exchange Spot Exchange
- Binance Futures Derivatives Exchange
- BNB Chain Layer‑1 Blockchain
- Binance Earn Savings & Staking
- Binance Launchpad Token Launch Platform
- Binance Pay Crypto Payment Service
- Trust Wallet Mobile Wallet
Funding
Key people
- Changpeng Zhao Founder
- Richard Teng CEO
Timeline & market context
Amber line: BTC price over the last year. Dots: dated events (hack/incident red, fundraise green, partnership blue, launch purple, regulatory amber, news grey).
Frequently asked questions
What is Binance?
Binance is an exchange tracked in the DeFi Intel knowledge graph. It is connected to 54 other tracked entities, most strongly to BlackRock, Coinbase, Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (Dubai).
What type of entity is Binance?
Binance is classified as an exchange (exchange) in the DeFi Intel knowledge graph.
What is Binance connected to?
In the DeFi Intel knowledge graph, Binance is linked to 54 other tracked entities, most strongly to BlackRock, Coinbase, Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (Dubai).
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