Binance has rolled out its first regulated perpetual futures tied to traditional financial assets, starting with contracts that track gold and silver and settle in the USDT stablecoin.
Key Takeaways:
Binance launched regulated gold and silver perpetual futures settled in USDT. The move reflects a broader push by crypto exchanges to expand into traditional assets. Growing interest in commodities and tokenized real-world assets is reshaping trading activity beyond crypto.The new offering, branded as TradFi Perpetual Contracts, gives tradersround-the-clock access to conventional assets using the same perpetual futures structure that dominates crypto derivatives markets.
According to Binance, the initial contracts include XAUUSDT and XAGUSDT, which mirror the price of gold and silver, with additional pairs expected to follow.
Binance Secures ADGM Licenses to Offer Regulated TradFi Perpetuals
The products are issued by Nest Exchange Limited, a Binance entity regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority within the Abu Dhabi Global Market.
Binance said it is the first global digital asset platform to secure a comprehensive set of licenses under the ADGM framework, allowing it to list such contracts on a regulated basis.
Perpetual futures differ from traditional futures in that they have no expiry date and rely on funding mechanisms to keep prices aligned with the underlying asset.
Binance said its TradFi perpetuals mirror existing crypto perpetuals in terms of settlement currency and fee structure, while incorporating pricing and risk controls tailored for periods when traditional markets are closed.
The launch follows growing signals that crypto exchanges are seeking growth beyond digital assets.
API updates published by Binance in December suggested preparations for stock-linked perpetual contracts, pointing to a broader strategy of bringing traditional markets on-chain through derivatives.
The timing aligns with a broader rotation across asset classes.
Ki Young Ju, founder of CryptoQuant, recently noted that capital flows into bitcoin have cooled compared with previous cycles, while interest in equities and commodities has strengthened.
“Money just rotated to stocks and shiny rocks,” Ju wrote.
Ju said a deep drawdown appears unlikely, adding that the market is more likely headed for “boring sideways” trading over the coming months.
A flat first quarter would run counter to historical patterns. January has typically delivered modest gains for Bitcoin, averaging a 3.8% return since 2013.
Beyond derivatives, tokenized versions of real-world assets are also gaining traction.
Research data shows onchain representations of stocks and commodities surpassed $1 billion in assets by late 2025, highlighting how crypto infrastructure is increasingly being used to access traditional markets in new ways.
FT Probe Raises Questions Over Binance Compliance After US Settlement
An investigation by the Financial Times alleges that Binance continued to process large volumes of suspicious transactions even after agreeing to strengthen compliance controls as part of its $4.3 billion settlement with US authorities in 2023.
According to internal files reviewed by the newspaper, accounts flagged for serious risks remained active on the platform, with some transactions occurring well after Binance entered a plea agreement with the US Justice Department.
The report says 13 high-risk accounts handled a combined $1.7 billion in transactions between 2021 and 2025, including about $144 million processed after the settlement. Binance rejected the report’s framing.
The findings arrive amid renewed scrutiny of Binance’s governance following President Donald Trump’s pardon of founder Changpeng Zhao in October for anti-money laundering violations.
The pardon, coupled with expanded business ties between the Trump family and Binance-linked entities, has complicated oversight efforts, according to former intelligence officials.
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