Binance Turns Nine With 323M Users and $156 Trillion in Trading Volume

Nine years ago, Binance launched into a market where fewer than six million people owned cryptocurrency. Today, more than 741 million people hold digital assets worldwide—and nearly half of them use Binance.

The world's largest cryptocurrency exchange is celebrating its ninth anniversary with 323 million registered users across more than 100 countries, a milestone that reflects not only crypto's extraordinary growth but Binance's own evolution from startup exchange to one of the world's largest financial platforms.

The company now says its ambitions extend well beyond digital assets.

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Nearly Half of the Crypto World Uses Binance

Since launching in July 2017, Binance has grown alongside the cryptocurrency industry itself.

Its 323 million users now represent approximately 43% of all global crypto holders, according to industry estimates, while its platform has processed more than $156 trillion in cumulative trading volume.

To put that into perspective, Binance's lifetime trading volume exceeds the combined annual GDP of the United States, China, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Growth has continued despite a more measured market environment during the first half of 2026. Binance added roughly 7% more users over the past six months, while institutional participation increased 9%, reflecting continued demand from professional investors entering digital assets.

Beyond Crypto

The biggest story, however, may not be crypto at all. Over the past year, Binance has accelerated its expansion into traditional financial markets, introducing products including stock trading, ETFs, tokenized equities and pre-IPO perpetual contracts alongside its existing cryptocurrency offerings.

Unlike traditional brokerages, these products operate on blockchain infrastructure with stablecoin settlement and around-the-clock market access.

Early adoption has been rapid. Since March, Binance's traditional finance products have generated more than $80 billion in monthly trading volume.

Its newly launched direct stock trading platform surpassed $1 billion in assets under management within its first month, while tokenized U.S. equities under bStocks exceeded $100 million in assets within just two weeks.

Nearly half of all bStocks trading now occurs outside normal U.S. market hours, highlighting growing demand for 24/7 access to traditional financial assets.

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Building the Financial Super App

Binance increasingly sees itself as something larger than a cryptocurrency exchange.

Its long-term vision is to become what it describes as a global financial super app—a single platform where users can trade cryptocurrencies, stocks, ETFs, tokenized securities, make payments and manage savings without moving between multiple financial providers.

The opportunity is significant. Industry estimates suggest there are now roughly 741 million cryptocurrency holders worldwide, compared with approximately 630 million online brokerage accounts, indicating blockchain-based financial infrastructure is already reaching a larger global audience than traditional retail investing.

"Nine years ago, we set out to increase the freedom of money globally," said Yi He, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Binance.

"When we launched in 2017, fewer than six million people owned crypto. Today, 741 million do, and 323 million of them are on Binance. That is not just growth. It is a shift in how the world accesses finance. We are only at the beginning."

Co-CEO Richard Teng said the company's next phase will be driven by expanding financial access rather than simply adding new crypto products.

"Today, 43% of all crypto holders worldwide use Binance. As the financial frontier moves toward the intersection of crypto and traditional finance, that trust becomes even more significant.

Expanding beyond crypto into stocks, ETFs and tokenized securities is part of that same commitment. Users deserve access to global markets, and we intend to give it to them."

Built by the Community

Binance is marking its anniversary under the theme "Built by You," acknowledging the role its global community has played in shaping the platform over the past nine years.

To celebrate, the company has launched a worldwide anniversary campaign featuring up to $4.5 million in rewards alongside an interactive experience set across nine virtual landmarks inside "Binance City," each representing a different part of the Binance ecosystem.

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As crypto continues moving deeper into mainstream finance, Binance's anniversary highlights how much the industry has changed since 2017.

The company's next challenge may be even larger than helping grow crypto adoption: convincing billions of users that the future of investing won't involve choosing between traditional finance and blockchain—but combining both inside a single financial platform.