Binance vs finanzen.net ZERO Comparison

In short: Binance is the world's largest crypto exchange by trading volume: more than 480 coins, spot trading from 0.1%, from 0.075% with BNB, plus futures and a regular proof of reserves. For investors in the EU, licensing comes first: since 1 July 2026 Binance has not accepted new customers, deposits or new buy orders in the EU. According to Binance, balances remain accessible and can be withdrawn.

Is Binance safe and licensed in the EU?

Binance is not taking new customers in the EU at the moment. Crypto exchanges need a licence under the EU's MiCA regulation to serve customers in the EU. The transition period for providers registered under national rules ended on 1 July 2026 across the EU, and on 31 December 2025 in Germany. Binance does not appear in the ESMA register (file of 22 October 2026, 387 licensed providers). Binance withdrew its application with the Greek capital market regulator on 24 June 2026 and announced that it would apply in another EU member state. Background in our report on the Binance MiCA licence.

Reserves and track record: Binance regularly publishes a proof of reserves, verified with a Merkle tree and zk-SNARKs. The snapshot of 1 October 2026 shows coverage of 100.35% for Bitcoin, 100.00% for Ether, 103.88% for USDT and 100.47% for BNB (Binance proof of reserves). For emergencies such as hacks, Binance keeps its SAFU fund. In 2023 Binance pleaded guilty in the US to breaching anti-money laundering rules and paid $4.3 billion.

What you can do yourself: if you still hold funds at Binance, turn on two-factor authentication and a withdrawal address whitelist, and keep larger amounts in your own wallet, for example a hardware wallet, or move them to an exchange with a MiCA licence.

Who is Binance for?

Binance suits experienced traders outside the EU who want a very large choice of coins, futures and low spot fees. If you want to open an account in the EU, choose an exchange with a MiCA licence, such as OKX, Kraken, Bybit EU or Bitvavo. Our report on Binance fees breaks down the costs; all licensed providers are listed in our comparison of regulated crypto exchanges.

In the DACH region, finanzen.net ZERO benefits from the strong brand recognition of the finanzen.net financial portal and advertises as a neobroker without order fees. That does not hold for crypto assets: the price and services list sets out a brokerage fee of 0.5 % and a settlement fee of 0.5 %, together 1 % of the market value per single order. With 59 tradable cryptocurrencies, the broker offers a comparatively broad coin range among German neobrokers. Crypto custody is handled by the BaFin-licensed Tangany GmbH, which is valued by security-conscious investors.

Particularly noteworthy are the savings plans starting at 0.01 €, which represent the lowest entry amount in the comparison of German brokers. The dedicated TAN app is considered a solid security feature. For investors who want to manage crypto alongside stocks and ETFs on one platform, finanzen.net ZERO is seen as an accessible option.

Savings plan executions are free of these fees, and single orders below €500 incur an additional €1 small-order surcharge. The provider does not quantify the spread, so actual total costs are higher than the stated one percent. Wallet transfers to personal wallets are also not possible and deposits are limited to SEPA transfers, both of which are occasionally criticised by users. finanzen.net ZERO is therefore mainly suited to investors who prefer a well-known German brand with BaFin-regulated custody and value particularly low entry amounts for savings plans.