In recent months, Binance, once the dominant player in the cryptocurrency exchange market, has seen its market share drop by 25% due to mounting regulatory pressure from the US. This decrease comes alongside a decline in the average monthly volume of all crypto trades, falling from 57.5% in February to 43% now, as reported by the Financial Times and based on research from CCData.
One of the significant reasons behind this reduction in Binance’s market share is the increased regulatory scrutiny from the US. Furthermore, the termination of a zero-fee trading campaign also played a role. Earlier this year, New York regulators forced a halt in the issuance of the Binance-branded stablecoin, BUSD, which made up 40% of the company’s monthly trading volume. This decision has had an impact on the liquidity of the exchange, adding to the pressure on Binance.
In March, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) decided to take legal action against Binance and founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao for allegedly offering unregistered crypto derivative products in the US in violation of the law. Following this announcement, Binance experienced a massive outflow of $2.2 billion.
While Binance’s market share has been shrinking, other crypto exchanges, such as Huobi, OKX, BitMex, Bybit, and Bullish, have witnessed an increase in their market shares since March. Data from Kaiko shows that Huobi’s market share improved by 8%, while OKX gained 4%. South Korean exchanges also saw an increase from below 8% to around 14%.
In response to these challenges, Binance is reportedly considering reducing its workforce. However, the company denied rumours of cutting 20% of its staff and framed the situation as a regular evaluation of crucial roles within the company, referring to it as a “cyclical process.” This process aims to assess whether Binance has the right expertise and talent in necessary positions.
Apart from regulatory issues and workforce adjustments, the decline in Binance’s market share can also be tied to the current crypto market conditions. Tokens such as bitcoin have seen their values fall by around 70% compared to their all-time highs.
Notably, Binance is not the only major crypto company to be making workforce cuts; other key players like Coinbase, Crypto.com, Bybit, Kraken, Gemini, and more have already made similar moves.
Source: Cryptonews
