Binance has reportedly notified users in several EU countries that their accounts will close on 31 December 2026, with monthly fees applying from 29 November.
The crypto exchange has begun progressively restricting services for affected users in the EU following the end of the transition period under the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) Regulation. According to CoinDesk, customers have received emails urging them to withdraw their crypto before fees on remaining balances take effect on 29 November 2026. Deposits have been blocked, although users can still withdraw both crypto and fiat balances.
A company spokesperson confirmed that affected accounts will be closed with effect from 31 December 2026. The spokesperson described the measure as a managed process and said user assets remain safe and accessible, with no sudden freeze applied.
Fee structure and closure timeline
Emails shared by users on X outline the terms. From 29 November 2026, Binance will charge 0.025% of the remaining crypto balance each month, or 10 USDC, whichever is higher. The first charge is to be taken within three days of 29 November, with a second charge after 24 December. Accounts holding less than the fee amount will have their entire balance deducted.
Fees will be taken from USDC holdings first, and from other crypto assets where needed. Crypto remaining after 31 December 2026 will be treated as inactive, which may result in the assets being converted or transferred.
The content of the email has not been independently confirmed. However, Binance’s terms of use allow the exchange to charge a monthly dormant account fee, withdrawn directly from the account, to cover the cost of maintaining digital assets with Binance affiliates or third parties.
Users in France, Spain, Italy, and Poland have reported receiving the notices. In June 2026, Binance first contacted users in these four countries, where it operated locally registered businesses before the MiCA transition period ended, advising them to withdraw their funds. Portugal-based newspaper Expresso reported that users in countries where Binance had no local entity, including Portugal, have not been contacted in the same way, although they remain subject to the broader EU restrictions.
Regulatory background
MiCA requires crypto exchanges to obtain authorisation in an EU member state in order to serve customers across the bloc.
In France, the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) lists the registration of Binance France, held since May 2022, as having lapsed automatically on 2 July 2026. That date marked the end of France’s national registration regime, when more than 50 providers without a MiCA licence were removed, including Gemini’s European unit.
Binance withdrew its application for a MiCA licence in Greece in June 2026 and said it would seek approval in another EU member state, which it has not yet named. At the time, the company stated that it expected to secure a licence within months. The exchange does not currently appear in the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) register of authorised crypto providers.
According to the spokesperson, Binance’s commitment to Europe remains unchanged, and the company is continuing to progress its authorisation pathway.
