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Contributing Writer
Miranda Marquit, MBA, has been writing about money on the internet for more than 15 years. She…
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Crypto.com and Binance.US are two popular crypto exchanges, but we think Crypto.com is the better choice for most investors.
While Binance.US offers lower fees, you’ll find a rewards debit card, more coin options, transparency in security processes, and more opportunities to grow your crypto holdings on Crypto.com. Additionally, Crypto.com has a larger trading volume and is available in every state except New York, whereas Binance.US has more geographical restrictions.
Binance.US is a separate sister company to Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world. Binance has faced regulatory issues, and is banned in the U.K. and Italy. It was investigated by the U.S. government for money laundering, tax fraud, and insider trading in September 2021, according to reporting by Bloomberg. Binance.US is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding its link to Binance’s CEO and two firms that buy and sell on the site. The U.S. operation licenses software, trademarks, and wallet technology from Binance, and is otherwise a separate entity, as per an email from a Binance.US spokesperson. We’ve reached out to Binance.US about this on multiple occasions, and have only received a general email response after our Binance.US review was published in July 2021.
Here’s why Crypto.com is a better bet to make the most of your cryptocurrency investments.
Before You Start
No matter where you buy it, cryptocurrency is a highly volatile, speculative investment. Only invest in crypto what you’re prepared to lose, and make sure you have other financial priorities in place first: save money in an emergency fund, contribute to retirement savings, and pay off any high-interest debt balances.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Binance.US | Crypto.com | |
|---|---|---|
| Good for | Active trading with low transaction fees | Beginning to intermediate cryptocurrency investors looking for additional crypto products |
| Coins | 80+ cryptocurrencies | 250+ cryptocurrencies |
| Fees | Tiered maker/taker model. 0.1% spot fee; can get a 25% discount on your fee if you hold BNB | Up to 0.40%, with discounts when you use CRO |
| Wallet storage | Keep coins in Binance.US account or transfer to your own wallet | On the exchange, in the Crypto.com wallet, or transfer to your own wallet |
| Security features | Claims to keep assets in cold storage, two-factor authentication | Crypto assets held offline with Ledger vault, FDIC insurance for U.S. dollar balances, multifactor authentication, whitelisting and industry best practices. |
| Additional features | • Staking • Tax portal |
• Rewards debit card • NFT investing • Crypto.com Pay • Yield farming • Staking |
| Minimum trades | $10 | Equal to the smallest amount of each coin that can be traded |
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Pros and Cons: Binance.US vs. Crypto.com
| Binance.US | Crypto.com | |
|---|---|---|
| Pros | • Low fees • Trading fee discount • Tax statement portal • Identity verification process |
• More than 250 cryptocurrencies • Suite of financial products • Competitive fees and discounts • Rewards debit card |
| Cons | • Not available in six states • Limited customer services • History of regulatory issues • Security information not readily available |
• Understanding fees and accessing discounts can be confusing • Must use CRO to see the most benefits from rewards and staking • Minimum deposit or withdrawal for bank transfer is 500 USDC |
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Wallet Offerings
No matter where you buy it, cryptocurrency is a highly volatile, speculative investment. Only invest in crypto what you’re prepared to lose, and make sure you have other financial priorities in place first: save money in an emergency fund, contribute to retirement savings, and pay off any high-interest debt balances.
Both Binance.US and Crypto.com offer the option to store coins on the exchange using a hot wallet. But Crypto.com gives you more options: You can store your coins in a decentralized wallet, which is great if you want a stronger sense of ownership. Plus the decentralized wallet lets you choose from different networks and transfer speeds, based on fees. Crypto.com also offers a centralized custodial wallet for your coins, which gives you the added security of know your customer (KYC) verification.
Binance.US suggests using Trust Wallet (owned by the larger Binance) for your coins. But we think an “in-house” wallet that you can hook up directly within your exchange account would be better for most investors, especially beginners.
If you want more control over your cryptocurrencies and more wallet options, Crypto.com is the better choice.
Crypto.com touts its security measures, which are in line with best practices in blockchain technology. On top of that, Crypto.com protects U.S. dollar balances with FDIC insurance, since those assets are held at Metropolitan Commercial Bank. All cryptocurrencies are held offline with Ledger Vault.
Even with this security system, however, Crypto.com was the subject of a $35 million hack in January 2022. The company claims no users lost funds in the hack, and that the exchange upgraded its security features to prevent future hacks. New payee addresses trigger alerts to users, and Crypto.com joined the Worldwide Account Protection Program in an effort to mitigate problems in the future.
While the Binance.US site mentions a dedication to security, we don’t see a lot of transparency around how accounts are secured. Binance.US is registered with The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in the United States, with help from its U.S. partner, BAM Trading Services. While the larger Binance has previously covered consumer losses, there is no guarantee with the U.S. company.
We reached out to Binance.US and Crypto.com for comment about these issues and for more information, and will update this comparison if either company gets back to us.
Crypto.com is more forthcoming about its efforts to protect customer assets, which makes it the best choice if you’re seeking peace of mind.
Binance.US offers more than 80 cryptocurrencies, while Crypto.com offers more than 250 cryptocurrencies.
Both Binance.US and Crypto.com offer native cryptocurrencies, since they both have their own blockchains. Additionally, both companies offer discounts if you use their coins. It’s easier to use the BNB coin to secure a discount in transaction fees, however, than it is to figure out how to get a fee discount with CRO.
If you’re looking for access to a wider variety of available cryptocurrencies, Crypto.com is the clear choice.
Fees
Both Binance.US and Crypto.com use a tiered maker/taker model for fees. That means:
With both Binance.US and Crypto.com, taker fees are usually higher than maker fees at each tier. Both exchanges offer lower fees the higher your trading volume each month.
But while Crypto.com offers competitive transaction fees, they’re not as low as the fees charged by Binance.US, which tops out at 0.10%. Plus, by holding BNB in your account, you receive a discount. Crypto.com offers a discount for using CRO to pay fees, but fees range up to 0.40%. To withdraw from the exchange into your bank account, you’ll see a minimum requirement of 500 USDC ($500). If this isn’t too high for you, we think Crypto.com is worth the higher fees thanks to everything else it offers.
But if you’re looking for a cryptocurrency exchange with the lowest possible fees, this is one area where Binance.US can serve you better than Crypto.com.
Binance.US offers fewer products and services than Crypto.com, though you can access staking, which provides a way for you to earn extra coins by holding them in your account. As you hold the coins, you receive crypto interest payments.
If you’re somewhat advanced and want a more detailed view, you can also get advanced charting tools on Binance.US. You can also access an over-the-counter trading portal for direct trading and order matching with other exchange users. And you can use a tax portal on Binance.US that can make preparing your taxes a bit easier. (You might also want to consider a crypto portfolio tracker to stay on top of your activity and make tax prep easier.)
Crypto.com has an array of cryptocurrency-related products and services that can help you to integrate crypto into your daily life, as well as access other digital assets:
Crypto.com has the edge here in terms of products and services you can use to boost your earnings in the crypto space.
Consider your preferences and goals when deciding on a cryptocurrency exchange.
While Binance.US will save you money on fees, Crypto.com is a better bet for most investors and especially beginners.
Crypto.com gives you access to more products and services, including a rewards debit card, NFTs, and a wider choice of coins. You also get the chance to earn much higher rewards through debit purchases, staking, and yield farming, though you need to be content with most of your rewards and benefits being paid out in CRO.
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