Binance to close affected EU accounts on Dec. 31, 2026

Customers in France, Spain, Italy and Poland have reported receiving closure notices. Binance confirmed the affected accounts will close on the stated date and said withdrawals of cryptocurrency and fiat remain available during the wind-down. Deposits are blocked, but the company said the process does not involve an immediate freeze of balances.

From November 29, Binance plans to charge 0.025% of remaining cryptocurrency balances each month, with a minimum fee of 10 USDC. The minimum applies to balances below approximately $40,000: a customer with $1,000 in crypto, for example, would owe 10 USDC rather than the $0.25 produced by the percentage calculation. If an account’s balance is smaller than the fee, the remaining cryptocurrency may be deducted. Binance says it will take fees from available USDC first and may use other crypto if needed.

November 29 is the first calculation date, with the initial deduction scheduled within the following three days. Another calculation is expected after December 24, potentially triggering a second charge before accounts close. Customers who withdraw their full balances before November 29 can avoid the new fees; Binance has not said whether ordinary blockchain withdrawal fees will be waived.

The closures follow the end of the MiCA transition period. France’s Autorité des marchés financiers said the period ended July 1, making authorization mandatory for covered crypto services. Binance France SAS, registered under the previous national system since May 4, 2022, lost that registration automatically on July 2 after the earlier regime ended without the company receiving MiCA authorization. Binance withdrew a license application in Greece in June and later said it would seek authorization in another member state, without naming it.

A French customer notice says assets still held after December 31 may be processed under Binance’s inactive-account provisions, including conversion or transfer under its terms of use. A Binance spokesperson told CoinDesk on November 7 that the affected accounts would close on December 31, 2026. The company has not announced a successful EU authorization and says it continues to pursue a licensing route.