The world of cryptocurrencies is dominated by Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). But what lies outside of the Big 2? Now you’re entering the territory of alternative cryptocurrencies. These can be roughly grouped into 3 types:
- stablecoins, like Tether (USDT)
- memecoins, like Dogecoin (DOGE)
- utility coins, such as Binance Coin (BNB)
Of the 3 cryptos listed above, Binance Coin (BNB) has the highest value. But what makes it so? In this article, we dig deep into the history of Binance Coin’s (BNB) — what it’s all about, why it exists, and its historical value.
Binance Coin (BNB)’s price chart since its start
Unlike Bitcoin and Ethereum, both of which have seen peaks and valleys of sorts since their inception, Binance Coin (BNB) has been relatively stable. To put things into context, Binance Coin (BNB)’s price hovered around S$20 for much of its lifetime until the cryptocurrency boom in March 2021.
Binance Coin (BNB)’s value peaked on 10 May 2021, at an all-time high of S$915. Coincidentally, Bitcoin (BTC)’s value was around S$77,000, and Ether (ETH)’s value was around S$5,200 on the same day.
Binance press officials still aren’t exactly sure why Binance Coin (BNB) mooned so much in that time frame, but it’s widely believed that Binance’s business moves, architectural changes to its blockchain network, and its competitor, Coinbase, doing a direct listing onto the stock market made Binance Coin’s value skyrocket.
Today, Binance Coin (BNB)’s value — along with Bitcoin (BTC)’s and Ether (ETH) — has dropped significantly since their peak.
While BNB isn’t a runaway crypto success, it’s notable for its relative stability and accessible price compared to its more famous counterparts. Altcoins like these are worth considering to investors looking to diversify their cryptocurrency portfolio.
What is Binance Coin (BNB)?
But beyond its historical performance, what is Binance Coin, really? Of all the altcoins out there, why is it the most popular?
Binance Coin (BNB) initially started out as a way to pay for trading fees on the popular Binance crypto exchange ecosystem.
Binance makes it very clear that BNB is strictly a “utility coin”, meant for use within its closed garden. Unlike, say, Bitcoin, Binance Coin isn’t meant to overthrow traditional fiat currency or decentralise entire portions of the economy.
What else is Binance Coin (BNB) used for?
Apart from paying for Binance trading fees, Binance Coin (BNB) can now be used to:
- Pay for trading fees on Binance DEX (Decentralised Exchange)
- Pay for transaction fees on the Binance Chain
- Pay for transaction fees on the Binance Smart Chain
- Pay for goods and services for both online and in-store purchases (e.g., using Binance Card or Binance Pay)
- Pay for hotel and/or flight bookings and more at Travala.com
- Usage as a community utility token on the Binance Smart Chain ecosystem (such as games and DApps)
- Participate in token sales hosted on the Binance Launchpad
- Donate on Binance Charity
- Provide liquidity on Binance Liquid Swap
Can you use BNB on Binance Singapore?
It’s worth noting that BNB works as a payment method on Binance International Exchange — but NOT on Binance Singapore. You cannot use Binance Coin (BNB) on Binance Singapore to pay for your trading fees at this point in time.
Binance Singapore offers something called a Binance Cash Wallet, but that’s a totally different thing from Binance Coin. The Binance Cash Wallet is like any other e-wallet — basically a way for you to store Singapore Dollars on the platform. You still need to pay the 0.6% trading fees in SGD.
However, you can buy and sell Binance Coin (BNB) on Binance Singapore’s crypto exchange.
How does Binance Coin (BNB) retain its value?
Binance Coin (BNB) uses a hybrid of a supply cap (much like Bitcoin) and a coin sink (much like Ethereum).
| Cryptocurrency | Price | Market Cap | Circulating Supply | Supply Cap |
| Binance Coin (BNB) | ~S$470 | ~S$70 billion | 153.4 million BNB | 200 million BNB |
Binance Coin (BNB) has a hold on its value by using a supply cap. Binance has also implemented a Quarterly Burn system to keep Binance Coin (BNB) scarce and its transaction fees relatively stable as compared to Ethereum’s ever-rising transaction fees.
Binance plans to burn a total of 100 million Binance Coins (BNB) — to date, 30 million Binance Coins (BNB) have already been burnt.
Why has MAS issued a warning to Binance?
Binance International will halt crypto to Singapore Dollar trading pairs as MAS has found that it does not comply with its rules and regulations, specifically, the Payment Services Act. Following this, its iOS and Android apps will be removed from their respective stores.
As of 13 December 2021, Binance Singapore has announced its exit from Singapore. Users have until 13 February 2022 to move their funds to another, Singapore-compliant crypto exchange.
This is the main reason why there are two different Binances: Binance Singapore and Binance International. To be clear, MAS doesn’t have a problem with Binance Singapore as it fully complies with their rules and regulations, so whatever funds you have in there are safe. But if you have funds in the Binance International exchange, you might want to move your funds to a Singapore-compliant exchange like Gemini.
What if I have crypto assets in Binance International?
Binance.com, or Binance International, has issued a statement that its Singapore users have until Tuesday, 26 October 2021, to withdraw all their:
- Cryptocurrencies
- Crypto assets (NFTs)
- Fiat currencies (cash you have stored on Binance.com)
This is in compliance of the Regulated Payments Services act that MAS has imposed, since blacklisting Binance International (Binance.com) on their MAS’ Investor Alert List. You will want to move and store your funds on a Singapore-compliant crypto exchange like Gemini.
What if I have crypto assets in Binance Singapore?
Binance.sg has issued a statement that Singapore users have until Sunday, 13 February 2022 to transfer all their:
- Cryptocurrencies
- Fiat currencies (cash you have stored on Binance.sg)
to a Singapore-compliant exchange. Find the list of Singapore-compliant crypto exchanges here.
Should you buy Binance Coin as an investment?
The short answer is: no. Binance Coin isn’t an investment in and of itself. Both of its exchanges’ exit from Singapore puts points against buying its coin, owing to the fact that it refuses to comply with Singapore regulations.
Binance is very clear on its stance towards Binance Coin (BNB) being a utility token, and intends it to be used as such.
All that said, you shouldn’t write-off every single altcoin as worthless except within its own ecosystem. Each crypto has different purpose (and thus potential) and needs to be assessed individually.
Once again, we’ll end our crypto article with a disclaimer that cryptocurrency is a highly volatile form of investing, regardless of which coin you buy! So always do your due diligence before buying and invest no more than you can afford to lose.
Make sure to also diversify your portfolio well with traditional investments like stocks, ETFs and REITs via online brokerages in Singapore. We’ve got beginner and advanced guides for you to start investing in Singapore. Have a read if you’re interested!
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