The global cryptocurrency exchange Binance has been experiencing a decline in its spot trading volume, with this decrease being noticeable across other exchanges such as HTX (formerly known as Huobi), Bybit, and DigiFinex. This decline is primarily attributed to ongoing regulatory challenges faced by Binance in the United States, resulting in a continuous erosion of its market share.
According to a report by cryptocurrency data provider CCData, Binance’s spot market share has witnessed a persistent decline for seven consecutive months, reaching 34.3% in September 2023, down from 38.5% in August. This marks a substantial departure from its peak in January 2023 when Binance’s spot market share stood at an impressive 55.2%.
Jacob Joseph, a research analyst at CCData, posits that Binance’s market share slump cannot be solely attributed to regulatory issues in the U.S. He believes that the cessation of Binance’s zero-fee trading promotion for major trading pairs has also played a pivotal role in this decline.
Moreover, Binance’s market share decrease aligns with the exchange’s strategic decision to exit from certain key markets this year. In September, Binance announced the complete withdrawal of its operations from Russia, selling its entire local business to the newly established CommEx exchange, whose founders remain undisclosed. Russia had been one of Binance’s prominent markets, with Russian users accounting for nearly 7% of the platform’s overall traffic.
Furthermore, Binance implemented alterations to its trading fee structure in early September, reinstating a regular taker fee based on the user’s VIP level. For instance, Binance initiated a 0.1% taker fee on spot and margin trades for regular users.
As a consequence of these developments, the spot trading volume that Binance lost has been distributed among exchanges such as HTX (formerly Huobi), Bybit, and DigiFinex. Additionally, rival exchanges like OKX, Bybit, and Bitget have reportedly gained a larger market share in the derivatives sector.
