In recent months, Binance, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange, has apparently been hitting some critical roadblocks. As per the report released by CCData, Binance’s spot market share saw a significant drop from 38.5% in August to 34.3% by the end of September. A continual decline, this marks the 7th month in a row of such dwindling figures.
However, the worries don’t end at the spot market share for this crypto behemoth. A somewhat similar downward trajectory has also been noticed in the derivatives sector as alternative platforms snatch the trading volume that Binance is unable to retain.
To put it in perspective, Binance had around 55.2% of the spot market share back in January 2023, which now appears to be considerably lower. This shrinking market share is accompanied by a drastic drop in trade volumes. Just to frame it, Bitcoin’s (BTC) trading volume over the recent seven days on the platform has shrunk by an astonishing 57% gradually from the month’s beginning.
The platform is suffering not just by volume but also by value metrics. Around 12,230 BTC, amounting to approximately $330 million, together with about 198,200 Ethereum, or near about $323 million, is estimated to have been moved out from the platform from August 2023 onwards.
CCData’s research analyst, Jacob Joseph, believes this decline to be the compound consequence of the conclusion of a zero-fee trading promo alongside growing regulatory concerns revolving around the exchange. These factors are prominently affecting Binance’s overall market performance.
Meanwhile, alternative exchanges are cashing in on the gap left by Binance. Other platforms such as HTX, OKX, Bybit, Bitget, and DigiFinex, among others, have managed to absorb the displaced trading volume. They have been tactful in their approach by adopting aggressive strategies, whether it’s promotional campaigns involving lower fees or enhancing their range of tradable assets.
Legal problems have further added fuel to the fire. With several lawsuits filed by the United States Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), it’s not surprising to see the dip in user trust.
Binance’s ambitious plan of a surge in trading volume via a zero-fee promo seems to have backfired in hindsight. It initially bolstered the trading volume, but with the termination of this, Binance experienced a sharp fall from a spot trading share of 65% down to 58.8%.
In a nutshell, the shrinking spot market share for Binance seems to be caused by a mixture of increased competition, regulatory scrutiny and perhaps a miscalculated promotional strategy. It emphasizes that short-term boosts in numbers through the likes of a zero-fee trading promo may not prove to be sustainable, particularly when regulatory challenges are persistent.
Source: Cryptonews
