Binance is stepping beyond crypto. The exchange now offers zero-commission trading on 7,000 U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds. Trading runs 24 hours a day, five days a week. The company also said it plans to introduce tokenized equities in the future.
What the platform offers
The list covers a broad range of U.S. equities. Investors can trade major companies and ETFs without paying a commission. The 24/5 schedule means markets are open from Sunday evening through Friday evening. That's a longer window than traditional U.S. stock exchanges afford.
The move puts Binance in direct competition with retail brokerages like Robinhood and Charles Schwab. Those firms also offer commission-free stock trades, but they don't run on a crypto exchange's infrastructure. Binance's existing user base of millions of crypto traders gets a single platform for both digital assets and stocks.
Tokenized equities are next
Binance said it plans to roll out tokenized equities. That would allow users to buy fractions of stocks represented by digital tokens on a blockchain. The company didn't specify a timeline for that launch. Tokenized stocks would let users trade equities around the clock, not just during the 24/5 window, and could lower barriers further.
The idea isn't new. Other platforms have tried tokenized stocks, but regulatory hurdles have limited adoption. Binance's global reach could change that, though the company hasn't detailed how it will handle compliance issues in different jurisdictions.
For now, the stock offering is available to users in eligible regions. The company didn't say which countries or what verification steps are required. New users can sign up and begin trading the full list of stocks and ETFs immediately.
