What happened to Binance in the EU
Since 1 July 2026, every crypto-asset service provider in the EU needs authorisation under the MiCA regulation. Binance did not get it:
- Binance had applied for the licence in Greece and withdrew the application on 24 June 2026.
- Shortly afterwards, Binance told its EU customers that it would no longer accept new registrations and would suspend some services. According to Binance, balances remain accessible and can be withdrawn.
- Binance says it expects to obtain a licence in the coming months. According to media reports, it plans to apply in France.
Binance does not appear in the ESMA register (as of 31 August 2026).
Which alternative suits you
There is no single “Binance alternative”. It depends on what you used Binance for. These six providers hold a MiCA licence and have been reviewed by us:
| Provider | Regulator | Real cost (buy + sell) | Crypto assets | Savings plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitvavo | AFM · Netherlands | 0.53 %study | 450 | from €5.00 |
| BISON | BaFin · Germany | 2.50 %calculated · BTC/ETH | 63 | Yes |
| Trade Republic | BaFin · Germany | 2.77 %study | 50 | from €1.00 |
| Bitpanda | FMA · Austria | 4.99 %study | n/a | n/a |
| Kraken | Central Bank of Ireland · Ireland | 5.92 %study | n/a | Yes |
| Coinbase | CSSF · Luxembourg | 6.45 %study | n/a | n/a |
You want to trade cheaply: Bitvavo had the lowest cost for a buy and sell in the study, at 0.53 %. Kraken and Coinbase were the most expensive in their simple apps, but both offer interfaces with an order book (Kraken Pro, Coinbase Advanced), which the providers say are cheaper. We haven’t measured those yet.
You need many crypto assets: Bitvavo offers around 450, BISON 63, Trade Republic around 50. We couldn’t verify the number for the other providers yet.
You want a savings plan: Trade Republic starts at €1 without fees, Bitvavo at €5. BISON and Kraken offer savings plans too.
You traded futures or with leverage on Binance: derivatives such as futures are not covered by MiCA but by the rules for financial instruments. We don’t compare such products. They can quickly lead to a total loss.
Other licensed exchanges with a large offering
If you mainly valued Binance for its huge selection, the ESMA register also lists international exchanges with an EU licence. We haven’t reviewed their costs and offerings yet, so they appear here without a rating and without a link:
| Brand | Legal entity in the register | Supervisor |
|---|---|---|
| Bybit | Bybit EU GmbH | FMA (Austria) |
| OKX | OKX Europe Limited | MFSA (Malta) |
| Crypto.com | Foris DAX MT Limited | MFSA (Malta) |
| KuCoin EU | KuCoin EU Exchange GmbH | FMA (Austria) |
| Bitstamp | Bitstamp Europe S.A. | CSSF (Luxembourg) |
| Gemini | Gemini Intergalactic EU Ltd | MFSA (Malta) |
How to move from Binance
- Open the new account first. Identity verification can take a few days. Only start moving once the new account is fully activated.
- Export your Binance transaction history. For tax purposes, what matters is when you bought which asset. Without this data you can’t prove holding periods or purchase prices later. Download all reports while your account is still accessible.
- Transfer instead of selling. Moving crypto to another account in your own name is generally not a sale. If you sell on Binance and buy again elsewhere, that can be a taxable event, depending on your country. In Germany, for example, the one-year holding period would start again.
- Test with a small amount. Copy the deposit address at the new provider and make sure the same network is selected on both sides. Only send the rest once the test amount has arrived.
- Expect questions. Under the EU transfer of funds regulation, exchanges must record information about the sender and recipient of crypto transfers. Especially with larger amounts from Binance, the new provider may ask where the funds come from. Have your Binance statements ready.
What users report about the alternatives
We don’t have our own test accounts yet. So here is what other users write publicly about the six providers:
| Provider | Trustpilot | App Store (DE) | Most common complaint |
|---|---|---|---|
| BISON | 3.9 | 4.6 | Transfers sometimes take several weeks |
| Bitpanda | 4.1 | 4.7 | High spreads when buying and selling |
| Bitvavo | 4.1 | 4.5 | Accounts get restricted for anti-money-laundering checks; withdrawals stay blocked until resolved |
| Coinbase | 4.0 | 4.4 | Accounts get locked without a clear explanation |
| Kraken | 3.2 | 4.5 | Account locks, often after the first deposit or after transfers from someone else’s account |
| Trade Republic | 4.6 | 4.6 | Many things only work in the app; the desktop version lacks features |
As of: 5 October 2026. Review sites are not representative: unhappy customers write more often, and providers that invite customers get more good reviews. We don't verify whether individual reviews are genuine. These voices never feed into our cost data or a score.
For people moving from Binance, the most common complaint matters most: accounts get locked during anti-money-laundering checks, often right after the first deposit. That happens at licensed exchanges because they must check where money comes from. If you move larger amounts from Binance, plan for that check and keep your records ready instead of moving in a hurry.
FAQ
Is Binance banned in the EU?
Binance has no MiCA licence, so it may not offer crypto services to clients in the EU. Since 1 July 2026 it no longer accepts new EU customers. For existing customers the situation is a grey area. We recommend not building up new balances on Binance.
Can I still get my money out of Binance?
According to Binance, EU customers’ balances remain accessible and can be withdrawn. We wouldn’t rely on that indefinitely: move your funds in a planned way rather than having to react to a sudden change.
Which Binance alternative is the cheapest?
In the study by the Frankfurt School Blockchain Center and intas.tech, Bitvavo had the lowest cost for a buy and sell at 0.53 %. The most expensive providers were above 6 %.
Do I pay tax when I move from Binance?
Moving crypto from Binance to another account in your own name is generally not a sale. Selling or swapping crypto can be taxable, depending on your country’s rules. Save your full Binance transaction history before you close the account.
Sources
- Binance tells EU users it will no longer provide services after failing to secure MiCA license (26 Jun 2026)
- Binance EU MiCA Licensing: Ongoing Compliance Challenges (8 Sep 2026)
- Interim MiCA register: list of authorised crypto-asset service providers (CASPs), as of 31 Aug 2026
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 on markets in crypto-assets (MiCA), in particular Art. 2 and Art. 61
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1113 on information accompanying transfers of funds and certain crypto-assets
- Study on trading costs of crypto providers (432 test trades, January to February 2026)