Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, is making a bold leap into traditional markets by allowing non-U.S. users to trade more than 7,000 U.S. stocks and ETFs directly on its platform. The service will offer zero-commission trading and fractional share purchases starting at just $5, using stablecoins like USDT and USDC, as well as Binance's native token BNB and other selected cryptocurrencies.
The stock trading feature is being facilitated by broker-dealer Nest Trading, while Alpaca will handle custody, dividends, and corporate actions, according to a report by Fortune. Co-CEO Richard Teng highlighted that U.S. equities represent over half of the global market, yet remain expensive and hard to access for many overseas investors. “Users outside the U.S. still face high costs and friction when trying to buy them,” Teng said. The new service aims to eliminate those barriers with fractional shares and crypto-based funding.
But Binance isn't stopping there. The exchange also plans to launch bStocks, a tokenized stock service on BNB Chain, which will allow eligible users to convert their equity holdings into on-chain digital tokens. This would bridge traditional stock ownership with programmable assets that could be used in DeFi applications—such as lending, collateral, and liquidity provision. Binance described bStocks as a “native bridge from traditional stock ownership to programmable, always-on tokenized assets at a global scale.”
The move intensifies the race among crypto exchanges to become “super apps” that blend crypto and traditional finance. Bitget recently launched Reality with over 100 tokenized assets, while Coinbase is building an “everything exchange” model including tokenized stocks and derivatives. Even Wall Street is taking note—the NYSE has filed a rule change to allow eligible tokenized securities to trade alongside regular shares.
For Binance, the success of this venture will hinge on user adoption and navigating regulatory frameworks, especially around tokenized equities. Nevertheless, by merging zero-fee stock trading with blockchain asset tokenization, Binance is positioning itself as a comprehensive global financial platform—and further embedding BNB into cross-market ecosystems.
