Binance Expands TradFi Presence with Options on Over 1,000 US Stocks
Binance is expanding its presence in traditional finance by offering options trading on over 1,000 US stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for eligible users outside the United States. The new product will be provided through Binance's Abu Dhabi-regulated broker-dealer, Nest Trading, with orders routed to US-registered Alpaca Securities for execution, clearing, settlement, and custody.
The options are physically settled, meaning users who exercise receive or deliver the underlying shares, rather than equity-linked perpetual futures. This is a key distinction, as physically settled options introduce share-based outcomes if users exercise, which may better align with strategies that require actual stock exposure or stock-based collateral considerations.
Binance attributes the rollout to accelerating engagement in traditional financial products on its platform, citing surging TradFi perpetual futures volume reaching about $433 billion in August, roughly 15 times January's total. The company's move sits within a broader push by exchanges and brokerages toward tokenized and onchain-wrapped equity exposure.
Tokenized equities have seen significant growth across major venues, with data from RWA.xyz showing that monthly transfer volume rose 93% over the past 30 days to $25.1 billion, while the number of holders increased 157% to nearly 2.5 million. The trend suggests a competitive landscape where venues are layering new TradFi instruments over blockchain-adjacent infrastructure.