Binance Makes a Big Move: Trade 8,000 US Stocks & ETFs 24/5, and Tokenize Stocks on the Blockchain?

Original: Odaily Planet Daily (@OdailyChina)

Author: Asher (@Asher_0210)

The mystery is revealed: “没谷” actually refers to “US stocks.”

On May 29th, Binance’s official X account posted a teaser image for a new product: an entirely yellow room with a single haystack at its center. There was no product screenshot, no trading interface, and no further explanation. The only clue for the community was almost just the character “谷” (grain/hay).

Soon, the community deciphered the image as a homophonic puzzle. “没谷” (Méi Gǔ, literally "no grain") sounds like “美股” (Měi Gǔ, US stocks) in Chinese. Based on this, many users speculated that Binance’s upcoming product wasn't an ordinary crypto trading product, but a function related to the tokenization of US stocks, a hot topic in the crypto space recently.

Binance New Product Teaser Image

The suspense is now over. This afternoon,Binance announced it will offer trading in over 8,000 US stocks and ETFs for non-US users, and plans to launch bStocks, a self-initiated tokenized stock product, in the coming weeks. In other words, this new Binance initiative unfolds in two steps: first, bringing US stocks and ETFs into Binance accounts, and second, attempting to further migrate US stock assets onto the BNB Chain.

One Binance Account to Manage Stocks, ETFs, and Cryptocurrencies Simultaneously

24/5 Trading, Zero Commission, Automatic Dividend Crediting, Support for Securities-Backed Lending

Based on the official website page (link: https://www.binance.com/en/stocks-landing#faq-2), Binance's offering is not just a trial with a few popular US stocks. Instead, it introduces US stocks and ETFs as a full-fledged trading category on the platform.Users can buy and sell over 8,000 types of US-listed stocks and ETFs: popular targets like Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Google, Amazon, Meta, Tesla, Netflix, AMD, JPMorgan Chase, Visa, Mastercard, etc., all appear on the official listing.

More importantly, Binance didn't build this product as a standalone stock application; it integrated it into the existing account system. The official website summarizes this as "One Account, Two Worlds," meaningone account to manage stocks, ETFs, and crypto assets simultaneously. Users can purchase stocks using crypto assets. Stock purchases are primarily settled in USDC, while assets like BNB, USDT, and USD1 can also be used for order placement and will be automatically converted to USDC upon submission. Proceeds from stock sales will return to the user's funding account in USDC.

Regarding trading thresholds, Binance emphasizes a minimum investment of $5 andzero commission (platform fees and spreads apply separately). Furthermore, the official website mentionsautomatic dividend distribution andsecurities lending functions. Users can have dividends directly credited to their accounts or generate passive income by lending out fully paid stocks.

Trading hours are also tailored to the habits of crypto users. The official website states that the productallows access to the US market 24 hours a day, Monday to Friday. Compared to traditional US stock trading sessions, this design is more suitable for crypto users accustomed to round-the-clock trading.

Advantages of Trading US Stocks on Binance

Binance also stated in a post that the Fully Paid Securities Lending (FPSL) service will officially launch on June 4th. This service allows users to lend their eligible, fully paid securities to market participants and earn additional income through the lending process. FPSL is a common securities lending mechanism in traditional financial markets, typically facilitated by brokers or custodians, where investors lend their unused securities to institutions needing them for short selling, arbitrage, or market making.

Tokenized Stocks Will Also Enter On-Chain Scenarios

Beyond stock trading within Binance accounts, the official website mentions Binance's plans to launch bStocks, a tokenized stock product, with related features rolling out in the coming weeks. At that time,users may be able to further convert their US stock holdings into tokenized assets on the BNB Chain, allowing stocks to transcend mere in-account trading and enter on-chain circulation and DeFi scenarios.

Compared to similar products on platforms like Kraken and Robinhood, bStocks enables users to initiate the tokenization process themselves and opens up DeFi application scenarios such as lending and liquidity provision on an instant settlement basis. Binance states that bStocks aims to build a "native bridge from traditional stock ownership to programmable, 24/7 tokenized assets." In other words,US stocks are no longer just holdings in an account, but can be further utilized in on-chain financial scenarios like lending and liquidity provision.

From US Stock Trading to On-Chain US Stocks: Binance's Broader Ambitions

With the launch of US stock trading, Binance's focus isn't just adding "a stock buying feature," but pushing the boundaries of the CEX further. In the past, exchanges competed on listing speed, contract depth, and liquidity. Now, the competition is shifting towards who can house more assets within a single account. BTC, ETH, stablecoins, US stocks, ETFs, and even future on-chain US stocks are essentially being repackaged as tradable assets within a user's account.

The US stock market remains red-hot, with sectors like AI semiconductors and memory chips continuously attracting capital. The crypto market is also seeking new trading scenarios and capital outlets. By placing US stocks within its accounts, Binance effectively connects these two streams. On one side are the familiar US stock assets; on the other side is the capital already deposited on the exchange.

bStocks represents an even more compelling development. In-account trading addresses the "how to buy" question, while on-chain tokenization solves "what else can be done with them after buying." If US stock holdings can be further deployed in DeFi scenarios like lending and liquidity provision, the competition for tokenized stocks will evolve from a trading gateway to asset composability.

From buying crypto to buying US stocks, and then bringing those stocks onto the chain, Binance's aim is not just to expand its feature menu, but to broaden the asset boundaries that a single crypto account can encompass.