Binance to Close Accounts in Four EU Countries Dec. 31

Binance will close affected customer accounts in France, Italy, Spain and Poland on December 31, 2026, extending restrictions imposed after the exchange failed to secure authorization under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework.

Users across the four countries have reported receiving withdrawal notices. A Binance spokesperson confirmed that affected accounts will close at year-end. Deposits are already blocked, but crypto and fiat withdrawals remain available. Customers who leave cryptocurrency on the platform from November 29 risk monthly maintenance fees with a minimum charge of 10 USDC.

November 29 Brings Fees on Remaining Crypto

Customer notices set a monthly charge of 0.025% of the remaining crypto balance or 10 USDC, whichever is higher. The first deduction is scheduled within three days of November 29, followed by another after December 24. Charges will be taken from USDC holdings first and then from other cryptocurrencies where necessary.

The minimum makes the fee disproportionately costly for smaller balances. On 1,000 USDC, the percentage calculation produces just 0.25 USDC, but the customer would owe 10 USDC for the first assessment. Balances below 10 USDC could be fully depleted. Even a 100 USDC balance would lose 10% in one charge.

Customers who withdraw their entire cryptocurrency balance before November 29 avoid the new maintenance fee, although ordinary withdrawal or network charges may still apply.

The notices also warn that assets left after December 31 may be treated as inactive and could be converted, transferred or otherwise handled under Binance’s terms. The precise treatment of residual assets has not been publicly detailed.

Binance describes the process as an orderly wind-down rather than a sudden freeze, with withdrawals remaining open for affected customers. Users should check account-specific instructions through Binance’s official channels rather than assume identical restrictions apply across Europe.

July Restrictions Turn Into Year-End Closures

The closures follow Binance’s July 1 restrictions on new registrations, deposits and selected products in six EU markets: France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Belgium and Sweden. The latest reports identify account-closure notices in the first four countries, not a blanket shutdown of every Binance account across the EU.

MiCA’s transitional period ended July 1, requiring exchanges and other crypto-asset service providers to hold authorization to continue offering regulated services in the bloc. France’s financial regulator, the AMF, recorded the automatic expiry of Binance France’s earlier national registration on July 2.

Binance withdrew its MiCA application in Greece in June and said it would seek approval in another EU member state. Authorization from one member state can enable regulated services across the bloc through passporting, but Binance has not announced such an approval.

The licensing gap has also attracted regulatory scrutiny of Binance’s use of reverse solicitation, a narrow exemption allowing certain services when customers independently approach a provider.

Binance maintains that it is pursuing authorization and remains committed to Europe. For affected customers, however, the immediate deadline is November 29, when keeping crypto in an account may begin incurring charges ahead of the December 31 closure.

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