Binance’s European Exit Comes With a Small-Balance Cost

Key Takeaways

• Binance confirmed affected accounts close December 31.
• Reported monthly fee begins November 29.
• Charge: 0.025% of balance, minimum 10 USDC.
• Deposits blocked; crypto and fiat withdrawals continue.

A Binance spokesperson confirmed the December 31 closure date to CoinDesk, which reported that users in Spain, France and Poland had received notices and that Italian users described similar emails on X. The fee terms come from those emails, which CoinDesk said it had not independently confirmed.

Who the notices reach

The four countries have one thing in common. In each, Binance ran a locally registered business before the transition period under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) rules ended. The spokesperson told CoinDesk the exchange is progressively restricting certain services for affected users now that the period is over.

France shows how that deadline played out. The country’s market regulator, the AMF, says registered crypto providers that lacked MiCA authorization by July 1, 2026 were struck off its register automatically on July 2. Binance’s June 24 European update had already told customers that the impact would depend on their country and account status. It also disclosed that the exchange had withdrawn its Greek MiCA application to seek authorization in another member state.

These notices concern accounts held with the four former local entities. Accounts served through other Binance entities raise separate questions, which Coindoo covered in its report on EU questions over how Binance still serves crypto users.

November 29 is when staying starts to cost

According to the notices, Binance will take a monthly charge of 0.025% of the remaining crypto balance or 10 USDC, whichever is higher. November 29 is the calculation date. The first deduction falls within three days of it and a second after December 24, so an account still holding crypto on the 29th is charged twice before it closes.

A balance smaller than the charge is taken in full. French outlet Cryptoast, which published the email, reports that the fee comes out of available USDC first, and out of other crypto in the account if USDC falls short. Customers who withdraw everything before November 29 are not charged.

December 31 does not end the process for anyone who misses it. The notices say crypto left after that date will be treated as inactive and may be converted or transferred.

The fee also has a basis in Binance’s existing rules. CoinDesk noted that the exchange’s terms of use already allow a monthly fee on dormant accounts to cover the cost of holding their assets. On that reading, the charge works as a deadline rather than a revenue line: it costs nothing to a customer who leaves on time.

What a 10 USDC floor does to a small account

With USDC at $1, the percentage and the floor produce the same $10 charge at a $40,000 balance. Below that level, the 0.025% rate never applies. Every account pays the same $10, so the smaller the balance, the larger the share it loses. Two cycles are enough to empty any account holding $20 or less.

One balance, two reported deductions

Balance	First charge	Share	Left after two
$5	$5	100%	$0
$15	$10	67%	$0
$100	$10	10%	$80
$1,000	$10	1%	$980
$10,000	$10	0.1%	$9,980
$40,000	$10	0.025%	$39,980
$100,000	$25	0.025%	$99,950

Coindoo calculations from the reported notice terms, assuming 1 USDC equals $1, both deductions applying and no other account activity. Figures rounded to the nearest dollar.

Stuck holdings end up paying the fee

The account’s dollar total is the wrong number to watch. Binance’s withdrawal-fee guidance sets a minimum withdrawal amount for each asset. Both that minimum and the network fee vary with the network chosen and can change without notice. A holding below its minimum cannot be withdrawn at all.

This is where the deduction order matters. With deposits blocked, a customer cannot top up a small holding to lift it over its minimum. Once USDC runs out, the reported terms let the fee draw on whatever other crypto remains. For an amount that cannot leave through a normal withdrawal, Binance’s official support is the channel to ask which exit options the account restrictions still allow.

Choosing a network carries its own risk. The same guidance tells users not to pick a network because its fee is the cheapest. The network must match the receiving address, and funds sent on the wrong one may be lost for good. The destination wallet or platform also has to support both the asset and the network before anything moves.

Gnosis Pay Breach Risk Outlasts the Card Shutdown

Three checks before November 29

• Verify the notice inside the account. Log in to Binance directly rather than through links in an email, and check the restrictions, dates and fee terms shown for the account itself. Closure notices are common bait for phishing messages.
• Match each asset to its minimum. Go through every holding on the withdrawal page and compare it with the current minimum and fee for a network the destination supports. Raise anything below the minimum with support early, not in the final days.
• Confirm the balance reads zero. Once the transfers arrive, check that no crypto remains on the Binance account. The calculation looks at whatever is left on November 29.

For now, the fee terms rest on customer emails. Publication on Binance’s own support or announcement pages would settle the details. The first practical test comes in early December, when the reported schedule places the first deductions within three days of November 29. Customers in Spain, Italy and Poland should also check whether their own notices carry the same terms as the French one, rather than assume they do.