Binance Expands into Stock Trading with Zero-Fee, Fractional Shares and Tokenization Plans Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has announced a major expansion into traditional financial markets by enabling users to trade over 7,000 U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The move marks a significant step in Binance’s broader strategy to become a “multi-asset financial super app,” allowing customers to access a wide range of investment options beyond cryptocurrencies. The platform also unveiled plans to let users convert their stock holdings into crypto-style digital assets, a feature it calls “bStocks,” which could revolutionize how investors interact with equities. In an interview with Fortune, Binance co-CEO Richard Teng highlighted the growing demand for access to U.S. stocks, which currently dominate more than half of the global equities market. However, he noted that many investors in overseas markets face high costs and logistical barriers when purchasing these assets. To address this, Binance is introducing zero-commission trading for non-U.S. customers and fractional share purchases starting at just $5. This approach aims to lower entry costs and make stock investing more accessible to a broader audience. The stock trading functionality will be facilitated by Nest Trading, a broker-dealer, while Alpaca, a New York-based firm, will handle custody of the assets and manage dividend payments and corporate actions. Users can purchase stocks using stablecoins such as USDC or USDT, or with other digital currencies like Binance’s native token, BNB. Teng emphasized that this is not Binance’s first foray into non-crypto assets, as the platform already offers derivatives products that provide exposure to commodities like gold, petrochemicals, and pre-IPO shares.#blackrock #binance #nest_trading #alpaca #bstocks
