New regulatory filings have officially confirmed that Nest Trading Limited, the brokerage behind Binance’s US stock trading service, is a corporate affiliate of the global cryptocurrency exchange. The disclosure, made through the Abu Dhabi Global Market’s (ADGM) Financial Services Regulatory Authority, ends months of ambiguity regarding the relationship between the two entities. According to ADGM documents, Nest Trading was registered on January 5 and its website registration points directly to Binance, marking the first formal acknowledgment of the affiliation in a regulated jurisdiction.
Binance had previously described Nest Trading as an “Independent Introducing Broker” routing orders to Alpaca Securities. The filing now shows a closer tie, with Nest Trading operating as an affiliate rather than a fully independent third party. Nest Trading holds ADGM licenses for investment brokerage, asset management, proprietary trading, currency services, and custody, but due to regulatory restrictions, it cannot directly hold user funds. Instead, all execution, clearing, and custody are handled by Alpaca Securities, ensuring compliance with both Abu Dhabi and US securities laws.
In related news, Binance is reportedly preparing to extend US stock trading to its non-US user base as part of a “super app” push. Fortune and Crypto Briefing reports indicate the exchange may offer zero-commission trading on US equities, targeting international customers who currently lack easy access to American markets. The move would see Binance sidestep complex US securities regulations by restricting US stocks to non-US residents, a pattern reminiscent of its earlier tokenized stock products which were scaled back amid regulatory scrutiny in 2021.
This dual revelation—the affiliate confirmation and the reported stock-trading expansion—underscores Binance’s strategy of bridging crypto and traditional finance. By leveraging a regulated entity like Nest Trading, Binance can offer equities without directly holding a US brokerage license. The zero-commission model could position Binance against fintech brokerages in emerging markets, while also giving BNB holders potential new use cases if the token is integrated for fee discounts or other benefits. As competition intensifies, with rivals like Coinbase re-entering markets like India, Binance’s move into stocks may help retain users who prefer a single platform for both crypto and traditional assets. Neither Binance nor Nest Trading has commented on the specific launch timeline or the supported stock list.
