Key Highlights
- Bloomberg reported on October 15 that Binance.US wants to raise up to $100 million at a valuation of about $1 billion.
- That target is less than a quarter of the $4.5 billion pre-money valuation from the exchange’s 2022 round.
- Trump-linked World Liberty Financial was briefed on the raise but is not investing.
Binance.US is seeking to raise as much as $100 million in a private funding round as it looks to expand its US business amid competition for crypto customers.
According to a Bloomberg report published on October 15, the exchange is targeting a valuation of about $1 billion. The terms could change as discussions continue. Spokespeople for Binance.US and World Liberty Financial declined to comment to Bloomberg.
World Liberty Financial informed, not investing
World Liberty Financial, the crypto venture co-founded by US President Donald Trump and others, was among the parties informed about the fundraising. Another person familiar with the matter said the venture is not participating.
World Liberty has existing ties to the global Binance exchange. Binance holds a large share of World Liberty’s USD1 stablecoin, according to Arkham data cited by Bloomberg. USD1 was also used by an investment firm tied to United Arab Emirates leaders to fund the purchase of a $2 billion stake in Binance.
Valuation below 2022 funding round
Launched in 2019, Binance.US operates separately from the global Binance exchange, although co-founder Changpeng Zhao is a major shareholder in both.
In April 2022, Binance.US announced that it had raised more than $200 million at a pre-money valuation of $4.5 billion. Its market share fell after Binance Holdings’ 2023 settlement with US authorities. The new target is less than a quarter of that figure. Bloomberg said the exchange lost market share after Binance Holdings’ 2023 settlement with US authorities.
Zhao pleaded guilty in 2023 to failing to maintain an effective anti-money-laundering program at the international exchange and served four months in prison. President Donald Trump pardoned Zhao in October 2025.
In February, Crypto Times reported that Zhao had said at a Trump-linked Mar-a-Lago forum that his focus was on Binance.US rather than the global exchange. Binance.US named Stephen Gregory as its chief executive earlier in 2026.
Binance.US explores prediction markets
Binance.US has explored prediction markets as a potential new business line, Bloomberg reported.
In July, Binance.US planned to seek a license from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to offer prediction markets, with an application expected in August. The report said the planned application was part of a broader strategy that included event contracts, perpetual futures and lower trading fees.
It remains unclear whether the exchange has filed the application. Bloomberg’s October report did not provide a launch timeline.
Binance.US has also discussed sourcing trading liquidity externally, potentially including from the international Binance exchange. Bloomberg reported that no decision had been made. The company is also seeking to restore some state money-transmitting licenses, although the report did not identify the licenses or provide a timeline.
Binance.US has not disclosed how it plans to use the proceeds from the proposed funding round.
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