Binance.US Eyes DeFi And Tokenized Assets Under New CEO

bitcoinistPublished on 2026-03-12Last updated on 2026-03-12

Abstract

Binance.US is charting a new strategic direction under its newly appointed CEO, Stephen Gregory, who brings a strong compliance background from previous roles at Gemini and CEX.IO. The company plans to expand into decentralized finance (DeFi) and tokenized assets, signaling ambitions beyond recovery from past legal challenges. This shift follows the dismissal of a 2023 SEC lawsuit against the exchange in May 2025, which had previously forced the platform to suspend dollar transactions and scale back operations. Since restoring banking services a year ago, Binance.US has introduced new rewards, staking, and referral programs to regain user trust. The move into tokenized assets—digital representations of stocks and other instruments—aligns with industry trends, as major exchanges compete to offer more diverse financial products.

Binance.US is planning to push into decentralized finance and tokenized assets — a signal that the company intends to do more than just recover from years of legal trouble.

The announcement came alongside the appointment of a new chief executive, marking what the company is positioning as a fresh start.

Compliance Background Shapes Leadership Choice

Stephen Gregory took over as CEO on March 9. He brings a compliance-heavy background to the role, having previously served as a compliance officer at Gemini and as compliance chief and counsel at CEX.IO.

Most recently, he ran crypto exchange Currency.com as its chief executive. His predecessor, Norman Reed, has moved into an advisory capacity.

Gregory’s appointment was announced Wednesday. In a statement, he pointed to the Binance brand and its founder, Changpeng Zhao, as central to the company’s identity going forward.

Zhao, known widely as CZ, has publicly pushed for the US to take a leading role in global crypto markets.

The hire of a lawyer with deep compliance roots was not accidental. Binance.US spent years under the shadow of a federal lawsuit that forced the platform to scale back operations significantly and temporarily cut off US dollar banking access entirely.

SEC Lawsuit Dismissed, Path Cleared For Comeback

The Securities and Exchange Commission sued Binance.US in 2023, accusing the exchange of operating without proper registration.

The case dragged on before the agency dropped it with prejudice in May 2025 — one of several crypto enforcement actions pulled back under US President Donald Trump’s administration.

Before that, the exchange had already taken a hit. It stopped processing dollar deposits and withdrawals after the legal pressure mounted, leaving customers limited to crypto-only transactions.

Dollar banking was restored roughly a year ago, a key step toward rebuilding trust with users who had grown cautious.

Since then, the platform has rolled out new rewards programs, expanded staking options, and introduced a referral program — all moves aimed at winning back users who drifted to competitors during the turbulent stretch.

BTC

Binance.US: New Products Signal Bigger Ambitions

The company said Wednesday it plans to keep growing its staking product line while adding services tied to decentralized finance and tokenized assets.

Tokenized assets — which include digital representations of things like stocks — have gained traction across the industry.

BTCUSD trading at $69,929 on the 24-hour chart: TradingView

Reports indicate the total value of tokenized stocks has already crossed $1 billion across multiple platforms.

Other major exchanges have been building out similar offerings, competing for customers who want more than a place to trade crypto.

Binance.US is joining that race later than some rivals, but with a cleaner legal standing than it had just 12 months ago.

Featured image from Gemini, chart from TradingView

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